“This is the beginning of a third Palestinian Intifada, which is erupting from the heart of Hebron and will spread to all of Palestine.”

One must be careful with this type of evidence; after all there is more than one reason for the Israeli political police, Shin Beth, to fake such a video. Moreover, considering the clothing of the participants it would be remarkably easy to falsify it even for the youngest agent, maybe as a graduation project. Yet, the video matches other developments on the ground and thus it is credible. It was posted on YouTube on December 15, 2012, by an alleged coalition of Hamas, Fatah, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. These are the four main Palestinian political parties. Considering the disintegration of Palestine into Hamas-controlled Gaza and Fatah-controlled West Bank, this video is by itself groundbreaking news. However, it contains more than an image of unity. Its main message is “This is the beginning of a third Palestinian Intifada, which is erupting from the heart of Hebron and will spread to all of Palestine.” This will be achieved through the newly established “National Union Battalions.”

Let me translate this into simple terms. Following the acceptance of Palestine as an Observer State by the UN, the main Palestinian factions have united and declared Palestine’s Independence War on Israel. Is this credible? Will Palestine declare independence on May 14, 2013?

New Uprising

The video at the left was filmed the day before and shows violence in Hebron. Palestinian police officers are seen clashing with Hamas supporters during a rally in Hebron which marked the group’s 25th anniversary. The demonstrators marched from the city hall toward an Israeli checkpoint while the Palestinian officers attempted to disperse them. The demonstrators threw stones at them, and a number of them were detained. Due to resolution issues it is difficult to say for sure, but several Israeli soldiers may have participated in the event.

This may look like a contradiction to the claims made in the video above, but it is not so. It has been five years since Hamas supporters were allowed to gather in the West Bank. The Palestinian Authority police was just making sure they would not reach the IDF checkpoint. Hence, the video supports the claim that a new coalition had been achieved.

Since November, there has been an increase in West Bank protests. According to the IDF, 130 attacks were launched from the West Bank in that month; most of them were defined as “difficult to contain.” AMAN, Israel’s military intelligence, reports a sharp increase in alerts suggesting attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians. Moreover, Palestinian Authority police stopped arresting Hamas operatives in the West Bank, and they are allowed to act freely. The Shin Beth released reports claiming that the West Bank is ripe for a third Intifada. Thus, at least the message in the video above is credible.

False Trigger

The IDF is fighting an outdated war. One of its generals, who refused to be identified by name, said on the same day to Yedioth Aharonot, Israel’s largest newspaper, “There are two scenarios that may indicate the future: The reopening of Hamas’ da’wah [charity] institutions in the West Bank and the complete suspension of arrests of Hamas operatives.” He added that the trigger for a third Intifada may end up being Jewish terror, such as “Price Tag” acts or clashes between Palestinians and settlers. One of the saddest things in this world is an old general trying to repeat a war from his youth; this unnamed general did just that.

The First Intifada was formally triggered on December 8, 1987. Two days before that, an Israeli salesman had been stabbed to death in Gaza; denizens suspected a retaliation from Israel. Then, an IDF tank transporter ran into a group of Palestinians from Jabalya Refugee Camp in Gaza. It killed four and injured seven, creating what looked like a retaliation. Subsequent violent protests became the Intifada. Yet, the ground had been burning for months; in despair, the IDF sent training units to the Occupied Territories since the beginning of that year. Years later, in September 2000, the Palestinian unrest was of a similar magnitude. The Second Intifada began on September 28, 2000, when Ariel Sharon, Likud candidate for Israeli Prime Minister, entered the Temple Mount accompanied by over 1,000 security guards. He said, “the Temple Mount is in our hands and will remain in our hands. It is the holiest site in Judaism and it is the right of every Jew to visit the Temple Mount.” By the end of 2012, the IDF is betting on a third variant of the theme. Yet, recent Palestinian actions show that a similar scenario is unlikely to happen.

Phase is Everything in Life

“Phase is everything in life,” a physicist friend told me once, and I found it impossible to refute his claim. Anybody thinking that the Palestinians will follow in 2013 the same patterns as they did in 1987 and 2000 is at least out of phase with our world and probably out of touch with reality. As analyzed in May 14, 2013, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has proved that he possesses a sharp historical perspective by concentrating his efforts on the recognition of Palestine as an Observer State on the anniversary of the historic 1947 vote on UN Resolution 181, better known as the UN Partition Plan of Palestine. He outsmarted Israel, which concentrated its efforts on the annulment of the resolution, instead of attempting to change its symbolic date. This was the act of a mature statesman who realized that the negotiations had entered a dead end alley. He is unlikely to surrender to settlers or IDF provocations and has a clear goal: complete independence. For historical reasons, his best choice would be May 14, 2013. Hence, the IDF’s published scenario is unlikely. The date the violent phase of the struggle will begin on is not related to Israeli actions.

Regardless of the name used by the media, the Third Intifada has not begun. What we are seeing is a Palestinian national, coordinated effort to achieve independence. The video on the top of this page announces the soon to begin Palestinian War of Independence. Are you ready, Lieutenant General Benny Gantz?

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I’d say that the Palestinian issue and even Gaza weighs upon the Muslim’s ability to ALLOW non-Muslims their spaces and respect the whole gamut of non-Muslim entertainments. Throughout this blog, there are instances of why Muslims should not be allowed to dominate the world. Muslims are incapable of governing diversity or understanding Voltarian freedoms such as accepting LGBT, gambling, alcohol, adult industry to list a few examples. Gaza (inequitable by location – no country can be in two parts in this manner – best that a land swop or ceding of the Gaza territory by Palestine occurs . . . ) and Palestine will NEVER be free until perhaps for a start the Islamist leaning government in malaysia ALLOWS all the above listed HUMAN RIGHTS the appropriate spaces and legal recognition and enforcement protections in a manner suitable and dignifying of the groups mentioned. This is why Palestine does not ‘deserve’ to exist, this is why Israel has a right to persecute Muslims, simply by the persecution applied by Muslims on non-Muslims elsewhere in the world .

There can be no protection or rights for Palestine so long as in places like Malaysia there are no rights granted on the above issues and more so when Palestine keeps firing rockets at Israel.

Even ‘Malay’ (half-Malay) exiles running away from Malaysia’s political fascism hate on LGBTs as well. RPK is a Malay writer who flip-flops but generally hates LGBT . . Impossible to teach some people(s) . . . so how can islam ‘civilise’ and abide by rights of access and expression on so many other ‘Haram Rights’ issues for non-Muslims?

ARTICLE 2

Yemen Times interview with Russian Ambassador Vladimir Trofimov: – “I don’t believe that Yemen will ever fall apart, and my government position is to support Yemen’s unity.” (Report).

“I will be happy to answer all your questions,” said the Russian Federation’s Ambassador to Yemen Vladimir Trofimov when we met him for an interview. He candidly opened his hands, “When it comes to Yemeni and Russian relations, we have no secrets.” Trofimov had been ambassador in Yemen for two and half years and is likely to continue for another one and half. Before that, he had been working for Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for 35 years, 22 of which were spent Arab countries.

He graduated from Moscow State Institute of International Relations in 1974 and in 1986 graduated from the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He has a Masters degree in History and speaks German, English, French and Arabic. He is married with one son who also works or the Foreign Service, specialized in Chinese affairs.

Nadia Al-Sakkaf interviewed Trofimov about Russia, Yemen and international affairs.

Every year, the Russian Federation provides Yemen with 80 Bachelor degree scholarships in many fields in addition to 45 scholarships for military degrees. A Yemeni-Russian Friendship Association recommends candidates for 20 of the general scholarships, while the remaining are decided on by the Ministry of Education.

Russia has investments in energy as it involved in the establishment of the Marib Power Plant, although it is keen on expanding to other fields when opportunity is available.

There are representatives of many large Russian industrial companies in Yemen and they are involved in energy and medical work, among other fields.

In the last few years, Russia canceled USD 5.5 billion of Yemen’s debts it the Russian Federation. And while Yemen still owes USD 1.2 billion, there is no pressure to return this amount as Yemen continues to pay an annual interest rate around no more than USD 20 million a year.

To Yemen, the Russian federation is not a donor country as such. However, it does help Yemen in facilitating agreements and supports Yemen’s development through expertise and discounted deals for equipment, arms, medicines and so forth.

Russians in Yemen

Formally, 500 Russians, mostly doctors and nurses, are registered with the embassy and have official state contracts. Yet the total Russian community in Yemen by far exceeds this number. Trofimov estimates that there are around 3,500 Russians living in Yemen, mainly in the medical field while others working in geological exploration among other disciplines.

Over the years, there have not been serious complaints raised by Russians living in Yemen and the general impression is that Russians feel safe across the country. They work in Sana’a, Aden, Taiz, Hadramout and Hodeidah. The embassy does not instruct its citizens where to go and where not to, as they have been evidently wise in their movement and work in Yemen.

“Even we at the embassy don’t believe that we need extra security measures despite the tragic incident of kidnapping and murdering foreigners in Sa’ada,” he said. “Thanks to the Yemeni government, security around the embassy is good enough.”

Security cooperation

Russia and Yemen signed a security cooperation agreement in 1998 and since then the two countries have exchanged expertise and Russia has supported Yemen with intelligence and military training, besides the 24 military scholarships every year.

During Saleh’s visit to Moscow this February, the two countries agreed on cooperation in combating terrorism and piracy. As a follow up, a specialized Russian delegation will be visiting Yemen in November this year to take the agreement further. There is talk of a joint Yemeni-Russian anti-terrorism and anti-piracy committee.

President Saleh also signed a deal to buy arms from Russia during his February visit. This is not the first time that Yemen buys weapons from Russia, who provides Yemen with discounted prices.

“We know Yemen is not a very rich country, so we do what we can to support Yemen’s sovernity and internal security, which is very important to us,” he said.

Yemen’s instability

“Our relations with Yemen are friendly and strong,” he said. “Our position is to firmly support Yemen’s unity and integrity.”

But Russia does not interfere in Yemen’s internal affairs like other countries do, Trofimov stressed. It trusts that the current president was elected by the people through a democratic process, and hence it is not fair to meddle into local affairs.

However, he believes that the instability in Yemen should not be over-dramatized. Another country with the amount of arms available in Yemen would have already been blown to pieces. Yemenis are therefore patient and calm people and are wise at handling their internal affairs.

The demonstrations in the south are economically based, and were triggered by some foreign and local political interests that do not represent all the Yemeni people.

“I don’t believe that Yemen will ever fall apart, and my government position is to support Yemen’s unity,” he said.

International affairs

Russia intends to hold a Middle East Peace Conference in the coming months. Its interest in the region’s stability is not new, as it has played a role as a mediator among many conflicting parties of the region.

“We don’t call it the Middle East,” he said. “We call it the Near East because it is near to us. And naturally we are concerned with its stability and want to ensure peace in the region. We have no problem talking to anyone in the process of making peace.”

Hamas has always been a controversial file between Russia and the United States among other western countries. Although there are currently around one and half million Russian Jews in Israel, Russia’s friendly position towards Hamas, Fatah and Iran has been made clear on more than one occasion.

“Mish’al had been invited to Russia twice before and we are inviting him again to visit some time soon,” he explained. “We must not ignore the fact that his government was a legitimate one elected by the Palestinian people. If we don’t consider Israel who keeps killing dozens of Palestinians every day a terrorist state, why should we consider Hamas a terrorist organization?”

“Our policy is to have fair relations with all sides, so that we can play a balanced role in the region in order to maintain peace,” he concluded.

Similarly, Russia’s relations with eastern countries are also maintained on friendly levels. Russia has annual USD 30 billion trade agreements with China and strong relations with India, notably commercial ones, as well as with other Asian countries.

Whether the new US administration means different US policy in the Middle East region is yet to be seen. However, Trofimov does find the Obama administration has a warmer attitude towards Russia compared to the Bush administration which was rather “confrontational.”…

The decapitated bodies of a judge, his wife and son were found at their home in one of the biggest Ukrainian cities of Kharkov on Saturday, police said. The killers also targeted the son’s partner, her body being mutilated in the same way.

­Victims of the graphic murder were discovered at the apartment of Vladimir Trofimov, 58, a judge of the city district court.

“The murder took place in the morning, four bodies are decapitated,” police said.

“We do not exclude Trofimov’s professional activity as a motive which led to the crime. But we are also looking into other possible reasons,” Kharkhov District police chief, Viktor Kozitsky remarked.

Local media report that police registered an emergency call at around 13:00 pm (11:00 GMT). The caller told them that he had found mutilated bodies of his four relatives including Trofimov himself, his wife, 59, their son in his 30s and the son’s girlfriend, 29. The murder occurred on the day that Ukrainian court workers celebrate their professional holiday. Kharkov is Ukraine’s second-largest city located in the country’s east. It was one of four Ukrainian cities to host the UEFA’s major football tournament Euro 2012.

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Silenced by the Arabs IN Russia (beheading seems to indicate)? Or silenced by the Russians themselves (in Arab style so that a war can be declared by Russia against Arabs . . . maybe high time so long as Islamists cannot abide by protection and granting of spaces and freedoms for non-Muslim entertainments) for being a double agent for Arabs in Yemen? Scary to get involved with these sorts . . . Gulag! Or conversion! Bad choices all, though extreme-Capitalism is no better . . .

Yemeni military court sentenced 93 members of the Republican Guard to prison terms from three to seven years for an attempt to break into the Defense Ministry building in August.

The elite Republican Guard is led by Brigadier General Ahmed Saleh, son of the former President Ali Abdullah Saleh who resigned from power in February after more than a year of protests, in exchange for immunity from prosecution.

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Postulation : Looks like North Korea informing/selling info with that new satellite? Satellites could be BRAIN SCANNERS . . . Memories do not fade Russia, but Kim should know that blackmailing of Russia for WW2 incursions quietly in the background, will be more useful to Kim in the long run than exposing Russia to Islamists directly. As for the necessity due to Russian treachery or the regain national pride of WW2 atrocities, that could wait until the Islamists have pledged to protect and ensure non-Muslim lifestyles.

There is a ‘morality’ ‘key’ on satellite technology that can only be operated by certain types of Egregore/Subconsciousneses born from certain types of persons or those of sufficient strength among a nation’s citizentry. Should the Egregore or or Subconsciousneses assent to operate the Satellite via contract with the owner, the ALIENS waiting outside the Earth’s orbit are ready to communicate with the owner of the satellite via the subconscious or egregore.

The above series of events INCLUDING the mass shooting of 26+1 in Newport (http://www.cnbc.com/id/100321171), and Hillary’s ‘timely’ (if not contrived) illness and concussion circa 16th December 2012 could be a sort of warning or brain transplant, or soul exchange occuring.

As for Kim, the isolation was so severe that if the ALIEN theory is true, then NK communications would be as important to describe the nature of humanity than be suppressed as in the current form. ALIENS may not fully understand human emotions and societies and having only met a handful of satellites, might be misled to think every other human was not good or needed to be suppressed. NK’s satellite was piloted by the ‘14th Dec 2012 Egregore‘ and reached space where ALIENS learnt the nature of isolation and reputational sabotage by human nation against human nation.

The other method of piercing the atmosphere is via psychic broadcasting, where a psychic broadcasts upwards into the atmosphere (this can be intercepted or conducted away) but such signals are of interest to ALIENS being biological in nature, and are viewed equally as valid expressions of humanity as the satellite. ALIENS as of now may be on a fact collecting mission, and having discovered the abuses of certain human segments of society are on a ‘cleanup’ mission. Internet and mobile phone incidentally have been entirely infiltrated and are being loaded by aliens who study the emotions, if not neurotech scientists . . . the psychoatric establishment also attempts to shut off communications by heavily drugging psychics able to pierce the atmosphere, this is effetive partially when localized and with opponent psychics focusing against.

Any refutes and discussions to/against the (most admitedly viewed as outlandish) above post is welcome.

Nicky was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease when she was 29
The condition makes her muscles tighten, leaving her unable to move
Nicky now poses as a frozen Marilyn Monroe for two hours at a time to raise money for charity

A Parkinson’s sufferer whose muscles stiffen as a result of the disease has turned her condition into an art-form – by becoming a human statue.

Mother-of-four Nicky Pywell was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease when she was just 29 forcing her to give up her career as a gardener.

The neurological condition means that without medication Nicky’s muscles and joints contract and tighten – and she is unable to move.

Nicky during her Marilyn Monroe performance

Good cause: Nicky decided to harness her muscle rigidity for charity by posing as a living statue for money

Undeterred, courageous Nicky decided not to let the debilitating disease get in her way and used her newly found talent to pose as a living statue.

She now raises money for charity by doing a Marilyn Monroe impersonation in her home town of Coalville, Leicester, for two hours at a time.

The street-artist now makes up to £400-a-time for Parkinson’s UK with her popular performances.

The 35-year-old said: ‘I become a living statue for two-and-a-half hours. I get stiff, all my muscles get rigid and I’m unable to move if I don’t have my medication.

Toddler enjoys first family Christmas at home after having ELEVEN tumours removed from all over her body
One loving family and a lethal divide: Sam, 25, and dying of a brain tumour insists faith healing can cure him. His cancer-consultant father is desperate for him to trust doctors

‘It was the idea of being stiff that led to being a statue. I do take little breaks but every time I am out on the platform I don’t move.

‘I raised about £390 the first time. That was taken from sponsorships beforehand as well as people giving me some on the day.

‘I gave an envelope to everyone I met that week telling them about myself and what I was doing.

‘I love Marilyn Monroe – she was a good actress and beautiful and glamorous. I find it really fun, I enjoy it and people say I look like her.’

Ms Pywell first sought her GP’s advice after she thought she had pulled a muscle while using a hedge trimmer nine years ago.
Nicky used to be a gardener but had to give up her job when she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s

Nicky used to be a gardener but had to give up her job when she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s

As time went on her left arm began to shake and drag but it took another three years and four neurologists to diagnose Nicky because doctors thought she was too young to suffer from Parkinson’s.

She added: ‘I was working as a self taught and self-employed gardener which I loved.

‘This particular day I was using a hedge trimmer and I thought I had just pulled a muscle. My left arm felt stiff.

‘I went to a walk in clinic and they gave me anti-inflammatory medicine, but it didn’t go away.

‘Then my left arm began to shake, and my left leg began to drag so much that it affected my driving.

‘Over the next three years I saw three or four different neurologists. None of them thought it could be Parkinson’s because I was so young.

‘Eventually my new GP sent me to a different neurologist at Leicester General Hospital. They admitted me to the ward, and Parkinson’s was finally diagnosed.

‘The medication they put me on worked very quickly and I was able to walk out of hospital.

‘I felt that things were finally getting under control, with the help of my Parkinson’s nurse.

‘Giving up my gardening career was one of the hardest things for me. Now, I’m taking each day as it comes.

‘People aren’t aware that I’ve got it unless I tell them and you get funny looks from people who make assumptions.

‘It’s much more likely that people think you’re drunk or taking drugs. For me to accept I’ve got Parkinson’s it was easier for me if I told the world rather than tell people one by one. It’s something I’ve learned to live with and not to be ashamed of.’

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Actually the psychic or astral imprinting issue is a viable problem to be considered with people with illnesses displaying themselves as role models. The best would be for warning to accompany with the ‘statue busker’ that has an illness (which spoils the work), or to have people in perfect health AND a family history free of disease that do not need warnings. That way, HEALTHINESS can be psychically imprinted upon the passers by rather than ‘wiping off’ of illness (if even intended or possible being in such a poor state of health) on the casual onlooker. Subconsciously those less wary or unaware may end up psychically ‘imitating’ Parkinsons disease while out of ignorance due to attraction for Marilyn Monroe and hence there must be some forethought and caution on the part of the audience as well even as the worker puts themselves out on a limb as well.

Some of the people who are knowledgeable about this may not practice or are coordinated well in actual practice, conversely those who practice well (a large majority I would say), do not know how to communicate this being unschooled in occult language. Then there are those fractured by the psychiatric establishment for being too strong or too aware, but thats another neurotech tagged article on this blog for those who care to browse . . .

President Barack Obama wipes a tear as he speaks about the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, …An emotional President Barack Obama vowed on Friday to “take meaningful action, regardless of the politics,” to prevent future tragedies like the shooting massacre Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

“Our hearts are broken today,” Obama said in a brief statement at the White House briefing room, frequently pausing to wipe tears from his eyes. “The majority of those who died today were children, beautiful little kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old. They had their entire lives ahead of them: birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own. Among the fallen were also teachers, men and women who devoted their lives to helping our children fulfill their dreams.”

Obama expressed sorrow for the victims’ loved ones and sympathy for the parents of the children who survived but who know that “their children’s innocence has been torn away from them too early.”

“As a country we have been through this too many times,” Obama said, listing a series of mass shootings over the past few years in places like Aurora, Colo.

“These neighborhoods are our neighborhoods, and these children are our children. And we’re going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics,” he stressed.

Earlier, White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters that “today’s not the day” to talk about possible new gun control steps meant to prevent such tragedies in the future.

Obama ordered flags over government facilities to be flown at half-staff until sunset on Dec. 18. Shortly after he spoke, Connecticut State Police said the death toll included 20 children, six adults and the shooter.

Obama learned of the rampage at 10:30 a.m. from Homeland Security adviser John Brennan. He later discussed it by telephone with FBI Director Robert Mueller and Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy.

Obama’s reference to acting “regardless of the politics” seemed likely to be a reference to deep opposition in Congress to new gun control legislation.

“Today’s not … a day to engage in the usual Washington policy debates,” Carney told reporters. “That day will come, but today’s not that day.” Carney said renewing a federal assault weapons ban “does remain a commitment” of the president. The ban expired in 2004, and Obama has taken no serious steps to renew it on Capitol Hill.

Carney declined to answer repeated questions on when would be an appropriate time for lawmakers in Washington to discuss possible actions to prevent future tragedies. “Our minds and our focus need to be on what’s happening there and providing assistance where we can to those who need it,” he said, urging “enormous sympathy for the families that are affected.”

One reporter pointed to Obama’s remarks in July just days after a shooting spree that left 12 dead and about 60 injured at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo.

“I hope that over the next several days, next several weeks and next several months, we all reflect on how we can do something about some of the senseless violence that ends up marring this country,” Obama said at the time.

Obama has made similar comments before, including at a January 2011 memorial for the victims of a mass shooting in Tucson, Ariz., in which then-Rep. Gabby Giffords was grievously wounded.

“We have to examine all the facts behind this tragedy. We cannot and will not be passive in the face of such violence. We should be willing to challenge old assumptions in order to lessen the prospects of such violence in the future,” Obama said. “But what we cannot do is use this tragedy as one more occasion to turn on each other. That we cannot do.”

Republican House Speaker John Boehner likewise ordered the Stars and Stripes lowered over the Capitol.

“The horror of this day seems so unbearable, but we will lock arms and unite as citizens, for that is how Americans rise above unspeakable evil,” Boehner said in a written statement. “Let us all come together in God’s grace to pray for the families of the victims, that they may find some comfort and peace amid such suffering.

“Let us give thanks for all those who helped get people to safety, and take heart from their example. The House of Representatives—like every American—stands ready to assist the people of Newtown, Connecticut,” Boehner said.

A country where every geezer or child is armed to the teeth is impossible to invade. Think Afghanistan where the kids casually carry around missile launchers or where an assault rifle is giiven as a coming of manhood gift. The above pic is of Russian origin. Does USA understand that people kill people and not guns kill people? Screening for psychos (psychiatrists kill with medications ALL THE TIME, so ban psychiatric meds . . . ) is the main issue.

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Absolute power absolutely corrupts.

Suggest that ALL owners of PRIVATE temples and churches be implanted with neurotech. Also all neurosurgeons who are able to implant neurotech and sellers of neurotech be implanted with neurotech as well. ALL private hospital committee chairs (or anyone with the authority to authorize bonuses), and ALL public listed company chairs serving more than 2 terms also required to be implanted with neurotech. ALL psychiatrists with the authority to implant neurotech be implanted with neurotech so that audits of all individuals possibly overseen by WHO can be done to see that abuse of political opponents and activists be prevented. Coroners who might have access to the dead and ‘used’ neurotech should also be implanted as well. The security people working at cushy jobs in nuke or dangerous weapon stockpiles also should be considered, to prevent bribery by unfriendly forces.

ALL neurotech implants should be registered with WHO and INTERPOL and deactivatable from WHO and INTERPOL to prevent abuse. ALL cabinet ministers related to security or neurotech based surveillance should be implanted with neurotech as well. ALL top police persons with access to neurotech devices be implanted with neurotech so that the NEUTRAL MEMBERS of public (i.e. no relatives, no neighbours, no people from the same establishment or work place) can do audits.

All neurotech implants NOT registered will be considered illegal. This way even banks and major companies leaking secrets and funds to unfriendly (not necessarily Muslet companies, but given the ‘War on terror’ the most infiltrations should likely be Muslet friendly ‘Whites’ of multifaith households or multifaith ‘toting’, yet Islamist leaning countries like Malaysia or some parts of Europe).

ARTICLE 5

New Russian motto: Legalize prostitution – collect taxes – 07.12.2012

The situation on the Russian market of sex services may soon dramatically change. Prostitutes will not be cheaper, and the moral climate in the society will not get better. Instead of vulnerability before the officials and clients, prostitutes would have “safety certificates” and those enjoying their bodies would have confidence that they are not dealing with a hotbed of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. A conference to discuss the initiative on the development of a law on legalization of prostitution was held in Moscow under the motto “legalize prostitution – collect taxes”. The idea was supported by a State Duma deputy from the party “United Russia” Joseph Kobzon.

The initiative on legalization of prostitution and the conference was originated by the fund “Morality Police.” The document of the organization, called a draft federal law “On state regulation and control of sexual services” suggested calling prostitutes “individual entrepreneurs engaged in providing sexual services,” and their clients – “consumers of sexual services.” The authors of the bill proposed to consider underground prostitution only sexual activities meant to obtain “income in the form of money or other material benefits.” The bill addresses the relationship between “entrepreneurs” and “consumers” as well as tax and other government agencies.

Duma deputy Joseph Kobzon supported the idea of ??the bill with reservations. He noted that the bill was just an excuse to start a great debate, perhaps even a referendum. “As soon as the State Duma starts drafting a law on prostitution, it will immediately raise the question of the need of its approval in the second reading by the government and presidential administration. Once the government feels that this law has a financial component, […] that there will be a need to allocate money from the budget to combat prostitution, it will be voted down,” said Kobzon. According to him, the money will be needed first of all for the maintenance of the new police unit – morality police.

Speaking after Kobzon, spokeswoman of the informal union of sex workers “Silver Rose” Oksana Yartseva noted that taxes that are rampant in prostitution “settle in the pockets of corruption.”

De facto prostitution flourishes in Russia, and the existing laws are obsolete. In the current Russian legislation Article 6.11 in the Code of Administrative Offences provides for a fine for prostitution between 1,500 and 2,000 rubles. There are two articles of the Criminal Code against pimps and keepers of brothels. They are “Involvement in prostitution” (up to a maximum of eight years in prison) and “Organization of prostitution” (ten years).

The conference overlooked the fact that talking about prostitutes we normally think of women, and thinking of customers we think of men only, which is not quite true. Everyone knows about the existence of male prostitution – and not just for the gay.

Sociologist Olga Kryshtanovskaya was among the most prominent opponents of legalization of prostitution at the conference. She did not like the fact that “it can be done by any girl who graduated from high school.” The opponents of this bill have two main arguments. The law on the legalization of prostitution is contrary to the traditional moral values ??and would lead to a greater spread of this vicious phenomenon. Ms. Kryshtanovskaya who specializes in the study of elites also mentioned sex tourism: “Would we face a huge influx of migrant sex tourists who will be coming along with their male migrant workers? How will it impact our demographic situation?”

In contrast to the arguments of morality and increasing number of prostitutes, the rhetorical question of Olga Kryshtanovskaya is very pertinent. The first oldest profession safely existed from time immemorial and, apparently, in one form or another will exist as long as the human race exists. As for Christianity, according to Jesus, individual prostitutes have a chance to enter the kingdom of heaven before priests and the elders. The spread of prostitution, as noted by Joseph Kobzon, is affected by social problems.

As long as Russia stays a poor country, the officials should think hard before legalizing prostitution. Otherwise, Russia can turn into semblance of Thailand that has become the center of world sex tourism. Russia should also look at the experience of Germany. Prostitution in Germany is legal in Protestant lands and prohibited in Catholic Bavaria. However, the ban does not lead to the destruction of brothels but, rather, drives them underground.

Igor Bukker

Pravda.Ru

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Igor? We all know that the regime establishment, chauvinists and militant feminists thrive off the sexual frustration of either gender. Prostitution if legalized will remove this element of psychic abuse from society and even prevent abuse especially FROM the hetero religious establishment fundos. The officials have been thinking ‘hard’, but Igor has been thinking ‘soft’. If Russia turns into the semblance of Thailand, one can only see the downfall of Capitalism as Socialism takes control when business goes to Russia. The economic vibrancy (we all know that places where the most entertainment occur is also where the biggest deals get done) of a Thailand-like Russia would dominate the world. Why would Igor not want that? Fifth columnist fronting for Capitalism? Igor is an ‘Igor’ for the Frankenstein of USA’s extreme-Capitalists (much like Islamists) . . .

European kindergartens and schools may ban children’s books and fairy tales that depict the traditional family. This is a request of the European Parliament Committee on Women’s Rights. According to the committee, fairy tales should talk about sexual diversity. Norwegian experts believe that children benefit from watching porn.

The European Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality prepared a report that calls for a ban of all books that show the traditional family where the father is the breadwinner and the mother takes care of the children in schools and day care centers of Europe. According to the authors, these books are bad for the future life of children, especially girls, and promote wrong behavioral patterns. In the future, it may prevent them from building a career.

Feminists are concerned that children from an early age are constantly faced with “negative gender stereotypes” in television shows and commercials. The word “negative” in the report is synonymous with the word “traditional”. Over time, the ban would be extended to television and advertising. So far it was decided to start with books.

The authors of the report strongly recommend urgent legislative measures in the field of children’s literature. In particular, they suggest introducing a policy of “equality of all social sectors.” An example of alternative children’s literature is a book “King and King” with kissing men on the cover. According to the report, this would help children to learn about the “true sexual diversity of society.”

In fact, such measures have already been taken in some countries, particularly in Scandinavian ones that consider themselves the vanguard of Western democracy. “Pravda.Ru” once reported about a Swedish toy manufacturer that issued a catalog before Christmas where girls were pictured shooting imaginary enemies with laser guns, and boys were depicted playing with dolls.

This was a requirement of the Swedish advertising regulator who accused the toy manufacturer of sexism and imposition of negative gender stereotypes. Norwegian kindergartens in 2010 introduced a program of compulsory sex education focusing on sexual minorities.

The report of the European Parliament also insisted that “homosexuality should be taught in kindergarten as a form of experience and knowledge.” According to them, this will expand the concept of “gender identity” for children. “Sexual diversity should be obvious to children. Children need to know that this is normal when your parents are gay or lesbian.”

For some reason, not all parents are willing to believe that this is “normal.” In Norway Muslim community strongly opposed such education in kindergartens. They threatened to withdraw their children from such institutions or create an alternative.

For the “dark” parents who are not aware of the latest trends in sex education in modern society, Norway’s largest newspaper VG Nett recently published an opinion of psychologists and sex therapists who said that it was beneficial for children to watch porn on the internet.

“Parents should not be afraid of their children’s sexuality. Conversely, from a health perspective it is beneficial to watch porn at a time when parents and children talk openly about these issues,” said psychologist and sex researcher Andres Lindskog.

He was commenting on a statement recently issued by an expert from the organization Save the Children, who expressed concern about the fact that increasingly more children and teenagers were addicted to watching pornographic sites on the Internet.

Anders Lindskog is convinced that there is no addiction or harm from this. “It’s important for parents to understand that children are born with sexuality and follow their biology. Children have the same feelings as adults,” said the expert.

After that, should we be surprised that the number of cases of pedophilia is growing in Norway? They mostly occur within the family. A few days ago, newspapers wrote about another such case. A couple, a husband and wife, subjected their three children under 10 years of age to violence and sexual perversions for years.

The children confirmed the violence to the police. But that does not mean that the punishment will be sufficiently severe. In Norway, pedophilia is considered a disease and is listed in the Medical Register. For this reason, pedophiles are given short sentences – from several months to several years. In some cases punishment could be limited to penalty only. In the end, parents can always say that they practiced “diversity of sexual relations.”

Svetlana Smetanina

Pravda.Ru

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Since brain scanning neurotech use is rampant, the issue of abuse and consent as well as TRUE (non-contrived) experimentation among children and conscientious NON-ABUSIVE AND NON-PREDATORY AND NON-EXPLOITATIVE adults that are not a form of uncontrolled incest, should be considered as part of the law making process. There should be no ‘top-secret’ preventions in the expositions of technology and application to the populace any more to prevent abuse and Orwellian dictatorships, hidden or not.

As for feminists or chauvinists, these groups should be allowed to exist as well and educate in the form they would prefer (i.e. disallowing fairytales) BUT may only ‘recruit or induct’ from children who have been determined to have NATURAL PROPENSITY OR GRAVITATION BY A NEUTRAL PANEL and consensually chose the subculture . . . *NOT* even children of arbitrarily feminists or chauvinists by nature should be forced into this sub-culture.

That would mean that Feminists and Chauvinists would continue to exist as a social group, but only be based around affirmation of the type of person, which a child MUST independently decide, and choose from A LIST OF ALL VARIANTS OF SUBCULTURES which must be part of early education. Meanwhile parents back home must be taught to not *forcibly inculpate* ANY values so that the child may grow up independently to decide what they want, NOT what the parents want. Invariably, the traditional family would doubtless survive as well – PROVIDED the issue of land and wealth distribution is resolved and do not from lack of distribution cause poverty to influence the child’s decision and choice as well.

Warren Buffett, the investor famous for betting on aging industries like railroads and insurance, is now trying to pull off something other billionaires have tried and failed to do: save the newspaper business.

His company, Berkshire Hathaway, has spent more than $342 million on 80 newspapers — including its hometown paper, the Omaha World-Herald — and used them to build a new business unit. And Buffett isn’t done. Though the division announced plans to close an underperforming newspaper in Virginia last month, he’s said that more acquisitions may be in store.

Terry Kroeger, the newly installed chief of Buffett’s newspaper empire, runs the operation from a 15th-floor office overlooking the expanse of wide streets that make up Omaha, Neb. The goal, Kroeger says, is to reintroduce newspapers to what they do best: delivering urgent, local information that readers can’t get elsewhere — and coaxing people into paying for it. He’s also creating offshoot websites with corporate sponsors and branching out into Internet video.

“We’ve got to evolve with what people are looking for, and I think our industry has done kind of a crappy job with that,” Kroeger, 50, said in an interview.

Kroeger, who started working at the World-Herald 27 years ago, once kept a pair of sneakers under his desk to mow the lawn whenever the grass around the office building got unsightly. Just like in those early days, it’s essential to charge readers for the reporting that journalists provide, he said. The World- Herald erected a so-called pay wall last year, and Kroeger aims to roll out the same approach across his other newspapers.

“You can’t spend millions of dollars assembling something and then give it away,” he said, endorsing a strategy adopted by the New York Times, News Corp.’s Wall Street Journal and most of Gannett Co.’s papers.

The World-Herald, Buffett’s flagship paper, will see its revenue decline this year as circulation shrinks, Kroeger said. It generates about $100 million annually and remains profitable, said Kroeger, who declined to elaborate on its finances.

Buffett’s acquisition of 63 newspapers from Media General earlier this year accounts for most of the newspaper unit. Based on Media General statements, those newspapers generated $299.6 million last year, a 50 percent decline from 2006.

Kroeger said that Buffett’s total newspaper division is in the black and should remain so, despite the shrinking revenue.

“We’re profitable this year,” he said. “I have a high degree of confidence we will remain profitable next year as well. We’re very high on the industry.”

The paywall has helped support revenue, though the program is still in the early stages, he said. The World-Herald’s circulation, meanwhile, has continued to shrink. It fell 3.2 percent in weekday readership to 130,932 from a year earlier, according to the most recent data from the Alliance for Audited Media. The Sunday edition dropped 2.9 percent to 165,397.

Even if the paywall draws help boost subscriptions, the move is more of a palliative than a cure, Kroeger said.

“We have to get into new businesses,” he said.

One such venture, already under way, aggregates health-care articles from the World-Herald and other Berkshire-owned Nebraska newspapers into a website sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska. The site, which is freely available to readers, has advertising in addition to the sponsorship.

The risk is that sponsorships jeopardize a newspaper’s objectivity, especially when it comes to medical information, said Todd Gitlin, a professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Kroeger said the arrangement with Blue Cross doesn’t affect the content.

The broader question is whether newspapers can evolve quickly enough to revive a decaying business. They’re confronting shrinking demand for print advertising, declining circulation, and encroachment from Internet companies such as Google and Facebook. The industry’s ad dollars dropped 6.6 percent in the first six months of 2012 from a year earlier, according to the Newspaper Association of America.

While community papers have an edge over publications in crowded media markets, no one has found a way out of the slump, said Ken Doctor, a media analyst with Outsell in Burlingame, Calif.

“There’s no silver bullet,” he said. Newspapers in many places had enjoyed a near-monopoly pricing on print advertising, Doctor said. “That’s not coming back — for anybody.”

Kroeger said last month the company will shutter the Virginia-based Manassas News & Messenger, one of Buffett’s most recent acquisitions, and cut 105 jobs in the process. The newspaper faced too much direct competition from other papers in the area, which includes Washington, and was continuing to lose money, Kroeger said in the World-Herald.

“We didn’t see any way to really turn it back into a profitable enterprise, reliably, so what made the most sense was to just cease publication,” he said.

Other billionaires have tried and failed to turn around the newspaper business. Tribune Co., the owner of the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune, filed for bankruptcy in 2008, one year after a buyout led by real-estate magnate Sam Zell.

Buffett’s gamble is less ambitious. His recent spending spree on newspapers amounted to less than two-tenths of 1 percent of Berkshire’s total market value.

He also may have more success than others, said Don Graham, chairman and chief executive officer of The Washington Post Co. Part of Berkshire’s strategy is focusing on smaller market papers that don’t have to compete with other media, Graham said.

“When you get larger, you get challenged by more forms of media competition for advertising delivery,” he said last week at an investor conference. “Anybody who really focuses on the newspaper business should be studying one company this year: Berkshire Hathaway.”

At Buffett’s Omaha paper, Kroeger is investing in high- definition video equipment, with an eye toward doing an online sports show featuring its reporters. That’s something major market newspapers such as the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal have tried. Unlike those national publications, though, Buffett’s newspapers embrace a simple tenet: All news is local.

“The community aspect of what we do is so important,” Kroeger said. “Obituaries, for example, are huge. You want to find out how big a deal that is? Misspell somebody’s name in an obituary — once. You’ll never do it again. These things matter to people.”

Kroeger’s first job at the paper was as an assistant purchasing agent. He negotiated for newsprint costs from vendors and made sure the company’s trucks had enough gas to make their deliveries every day.

“I was pretty low on the food chain,” he said. “It’s where I learned about the nuts and bolts of the business.”

Buffett is a longtime investor in newspapers, though never at this scale in the past. Buffett’s interest in the industry had been mostly limited to a stake in the Washington Post and the 1977 purchase of the Buffalo News, which is run separately from Kroeger’s operations. Its publisher, Stan Lipsey, reports directly to Buffett. Berkshire also owns a stake in Gannett, the publisher of USA Today.

Buffett is the second-richest American, after Microsoft’s Bill Gates, with an estimated worth of $46.7 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. That’s made him one of the highest-profile backers of print journalism.

“I’ve loved newspapers all my life — and always will,” Buffett wrote in a letter to employees of his newspapers earlier this year, before going on to say that he will probably buy more papers over the next few years. Buffett’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Kroeger declined to discuss the company’s future takeover targets. Other newspaper businesses focused on smaller markets include McClatchy Co., a publisher of 30 daily newspapers such as the Sacramento Bee, and E.W. Scripps Co., which operates 15 newspapers from Cincinnati. Tribune Co.’s newspapers also will be put up for sale as the company emerges from bankruptcy later this month, people familiar with the matter said this week.

Buffett, born in Omaha, has been a loyal subscriber to the World-Herald for most of his adult life and understands the challenges the paper faces, Kroeger said.

“He knows it’s not going to be easy turning things around,” Kroeger said. “He gets what we do here and he’s been incredibly helpful, generous with his time, offering advice when he can.”

Still, Buffett doesn’t influence news coverage, said Mike Reilly, the World-Herald’s executive editor. And there’s been no shift in how the paper covers him, he said. For years, the paper has run a weekly column on the billionaire called “Warren Watch,” something that continues under Buffett’s ownership.

“There hasn’t been any change in how I run the newsroom,” Reilly said. “We used to cover the heck out of him and we still cover the heck out of him.”

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Starting from articles on the net, the number of hits should decide WHICH articles get published on solid paper. The hits online determine how much a person gets paid for an article (this should be capped at a limit of minimum wage per SERIOUS article or if the – we can’t have people getting millions at the company’s expense for A SINGLE ARTICLE), THEN the article gets published BECAUSE of many hits. This way articles that people do not read are left out, and the 99% decide what gets published instead of the editors who are doubtless controlled by the political regime of the day. For non-serious articles or trivia like music launches, celebs or fashion the rate should be at 5% of minimum wage per article, as we do know that a single journalist can churn out dozens a week and these automatically get ‘hits’ because of the shallow masses or tired minds looking for something simple. Various articles of similar types could appear all at once, so the top 20 top hits of the same article perhaps could be edited AND the ‘minimum wage purse’ be shared among journalists who independently found the article on their own (reposters not counted). As for comments, the ‘average annual wage’ purse could be shared for the top 10% of comments so that feedback is also included. Newspapers should not pontificate but also include comments as well.

ARTICLE 8

Susan Rice withdraws from running for secretary of state – live coverage – guardian.co.uk, Thursday 13 December 2012 23.11 GMT

Susan Rice

UN ambassador tells Obama ‘I am now convinced that the confirmation process would be lengthy, disruptive and costly’

As news of Rice’s withdrawal broke, the president entered a meeting with House Speaker John Boehner on how the two sides might come to a fiscal cliff compromise.

If the president caved on Rice, does that mean he’s in a cave-y mood generally?

The deputy chief of staff for the speaker’s office, David Schnittger, says the meeting has concluded, but he isn’t saying what happened.

The @whitehouse #fiscalcliff meeting between @speakerboehner and President Obama has concluded.
— David Schnittger (@OhSchnitt) December 13, 2012

11.11pm GMT

Slate’s Dave Weigel calls it. That guy’s good.

I just hope McCain makes a rare Sunday show appearance to discuss this news.
— daveweigel (@daveweigel) December 13, 2012

Potential defense secretary Chuck Hagel, a former colleague of John Kerry’s on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and like Kerry a Vietnam vet, is not regarded by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) to be an especially faithful friend to Israel, Eli Lake reports in the Daily Beast (Aipac never takes formal positions on nominees):

A senior pro-Israel advocate in Washington told The Daily Beast on Thursday, “The pro-Israel community will view the nomination of Senator Chuck Hagel in an extremely negative light. His record is unique in its animus towards Israel.”

Josh Block, a former spokesman for AIPAC and the CEO and president of the Israel Project, told The Daily Beast, “While in the Senate, Hagel voted against designating the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization, refused to call on the E.U. to designate Hezbollah a terrorist group, and consistently voted against sanctions on Iran for their illicit pursuit of nuclear weapons capability. It is a matter of fact that his record on these issues puts him well outside the mainstream Democratic and Republican consensus.”

11.02pm GMT
Kerry: ‘we should all be grateful’ for Rice’s service

Ewen MacAskill sends John Kerry’s statement on the withdrawal of Susan Rice:

I’ve known and worked closely with Susan Rice not just at the UN, but in my own campaign for President. I’ve defended her publicly and wouldn’t hesitate to do so again because I know her character and I know her commitment. She’s an extraordinarily capable and dedicated public servant. Today’s announcement doesn’t change any of that. We should all be grateful that she will continue to serve and contribute at the highest level. As someone who has weathered my share of political attacks and understands on a personal level just how difficult politics can be, I’ve felt for her throughout these last difficult weeks, but I also know that she will continue to serve with great passion and distinction.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., listens during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Dec. 3, 2012 to discuss a disabilities treaty. Kerry did not want to respond to questions from reporters about recent talk that Kerry is a top candidate to replace Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., listens during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Dec. 3, 2012 to discuss a disabilities treaty.
10.57pm GMT

Let’s hope Kerry recovers from his conflicted feelings about Rice’s political troubles in time to put a cheerful face on it should he be nominated to take the job that was supposed to be hers.

“I’ve felt for her throughout these last difficult weeks.” — John Kerry on Susan Rice. — The Fix (@TheFix) December 13, 2012

Heh.

If Kerry as Sec’y of State is half as effective against Iran’s mullahs as he was against Susan Rice, I’m for him — Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey) December 13, 2012 10.43pm GMT

Updated at 10.47pm GMT

Who, apart from Sen. John McCain, is most pleased by today’s news? There’s reason to speculate that outgoing Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown might not be taking it so badly.

Brown is expected to be a front-runner to fill Kerry’s senate seat if Kerry gets the state nod. Here’s ABC’s Elizabeth Hartfield:

…with Rice out of the running, Kerry is “all but certain” to get the nomination, according to ABC’s Jake Tapper. That means a vacant seat and a special election, which could benefit out-going Sen. Scott Brown, who lost his bid for reelection to Elizabeth Warren in November. […] Brown’s victory in a special election would not be a sure thing. Although he leaves office with high approval ratings- exit polls from the 2012 election showed him with a favor-ability rating of 60 percent- but Massachusetts is a solidly Democratic state, and there are many Democrats in elected office in the state who could challenge Brown. 10.37pm GMT

The uproar over Rice’s statements on Benghazi was fueled by a desperate attempt to score points during the presidential campaign, as Tom Ricks so bluntly explained on Fox News. Then Obama was reelected and the continued campaign against Rice began to look especially unhinged.

Consider Iowa Rep. Steve King, who today said the Benghazi scandal is 10 times bigger than the Watergate and Iran-Contra scandals combined, the Washington Times reported (h/t: @batterdippin):

“(Watergate) was a break-in that Nixon had no knowledge of at the time. It became about the cover-up,” King said. “Iran-Contra, again, as far as the real depths of what went wrong and who violated what laws, we didn’t really get that identified in there. … This is a case where we had an ambassador who was assassinated. He and the others were victims of a plot and a plan. We were willfully and intentionally misinformed by the White House. You know, if Richard Nixon tried to cover up Watergate, that’s an easy case to make that the Obama administration didn’t want us to know what has gone on. We still don’t know.”

This kind of circus wackiness, among other factors, made the case against Rice look weak. It looked like something a newly empowered president could bulldoze through. In late November, John Heilemann in New York Magazine went so far as to list five reasons why a Rice confirmation was a done deal:

As a rule, your columnist avoids predictions, but in the spirit of holiday indulgence, I will make an exception here: Not only will Obama appoint Rice to succeed Clinton but she will be confirmed.

Here’s Heilemann’s fourth reason:

4. Because McCain is being a jackass—and Obama is sick of it. Arguably more than any other national figure, the senior senator from Arizona is driven in every aspect of his public behavior by personal pique. In the wake of the 2000 Republican nomination fight, when he believed Bush and his campaign had defeated him by nefarious means, McCain lunged to the center and became one of the sharpest thorns in the side of the new president from his own party. In the wake of the 2008 election, when he was soundly thumped by a Democratic challenger whom he regarded as a neophyte and a pretender whose experience and valor were no match for his own, McCain immediately shed all traces of mavericky independence and became one of Obama’s fiercest critics from the right. […]

Apparently Obama wasn’t so sick of it. 10.27pm GMT

Updated at 10.30pm GMT

FILE – DECEMBER 13: Susan Rice has withdrawn her name from the running for Secretary of State. NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 30: Susan E. Rice, ambassador and U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), attends a UN Security Council meeting regarding the on-going situation in Syria on August 30, 2012 in New York City. UN Security Council negotiations regarding the situation in Syria collapsed last month. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images) Continuity Horizontal Syria USA New York City Meeting Politics Ambassador UN Security Council United Nations Blocked Terms Diplomacy Attending Permanent Representative Susan Rice Situation Susan E. Rice, ambassador and U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), attends a UN Security Council meeting regarding the on-going situation in Syria on August 30, 2012 in New York City.
10.13pm GMT

TPM’s Igor Bobic has a longer excerpt from Rice’s interview with Brian Williams to air tonight. Rice says that she didn’t want to see a disruptive confirmation process:

Today I made the decision that it was the best thing for our country, for the American people that I not continue to be considered by the president for secretary of state because I didn’t want to see a confirmation process that was very prolonged, very politicized, very distracting, and very disruptive because there are so many things we need to get done as a country, and the first several months of a second-term president’s agenda is really the opportunity to get the crucial things done. We’re talking about comprehensive immigration reform, balanced deficit reduction, job creation, that’s what matters, and to the extent that my nomination could have delayed or distracted or deflected or maybe even some of these priorities impossible to achieve, I didn’t want that and I’d much prefer to continue doing what I’m doing, which is a job I love at the United Nations. 10.11pm GMT

The GOP, Michelle Obama and favors to repay

Guardian Washington bureau chief Ewen MacAskill observes that the president was in a tight spot over the secretary of state nomination – but now he is not:

The Republicans might have done Obama a favour. The president was under pressure from two of the women in his life, wife Michelle and adviser Valerie Jarrett, to give the job to their friend Rice rather than to Kerry. Obama owes Kerry, having used him repeatedly as an envoy to help with sensitive issues such as relations with the Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai. Kerry was also the Mitt Romney stand-in during presidential debate practice. Rice had the necessary diplomatic credentials. She has been right about more issues than she has been wrong, being an early champion of the West taking a tougher line on the Darfur issue. But when she has failed, she has failed badly. She was responsible for African affairs in the Clinton administration, and critics – fairly or unfairly – blame her for doing little to prevent the rapid disintegration of the Congo, a conflict that is estimated to have cost at least two million lives.

On a small scale, she was humiliated a fortnight ago when the UN general assembly voted in favour of a step towards Palestinian statehood. Showing none of the humility such a defeat deserved, she put her head down in the assembly to read out a defiant statement that would have pleased few outside of Israel. Kerry, chairman of the Senate foreign affairs committee, has much wider experience in the diplomatic world, and knows already many of the world leaders. Rice’s departure from the field will be greeted with relief in foreign ministries round the world who have been on the receiving end of her rough tongue: that is, most of them. For the same reason, her continuation as UN ambassador will be greeted with groans at other UN missions. 10.06pm GMT

How spontaneous is the Rice news? She’s already taped an entire interview with NBC News’ Brian Williams, a snippet of which just aired.

Rice said that the president’s second term would see “an attempt to get the crucial things done… [and] to the extent that my nomination could have delayed or distracted [from these priorities]… I didn’t want that.”

She told Williams she’ll stay on as UN ambassador.

It’s gracious boilerplate for withdrawing nominees.

was #Susan Rice pushed or did she jump? — Barbara Slavin (@barbaraslavin1) December 13, 2012

9.59pm GMT
The rise and fall of the next secretary of state

At what point did the president decide the fight over Rice wasn’t worth it?

Obama was still fully behind his potential nominee when she made her trip to the Capitol Hill woodshed at the end of November, meeting with Sens. McCain, Lindsey Graham, (R-SC), Kelly Ayotte, (R-NH) and others.

“The concerns I have are greater today than they were before, we’re not even close to having the answers,” said Graham at a joint press conference following the meeting. “The American people got bad information on Sept. 16, bad information from the president after that, and the question is, should they have been given any information at all?”

Republicans accused Rice of misleading Congress and the public about what happened in Benghazi in the Sept. 11 attack that killed Amb. J. Christopher Stevens, a computer technician and two security contractors employed by the CIA.

The Obama administration, led publicly by Rice, initially made the attack on a US mission out to be part of a spontaneous protest over an anti-Islam video that had provoked such a protest that day in Cairo and elsewhere.

Later it emerged that there was no protest, that the attack was planned and that the mission was attached to a covert CIA post.

Five days after the attack, Rice made this misleading statement on NBC’s Meet the Press:

What happened in Benghazi was in fact initially a spontaneous reaction to what had just transpired hours before in Cairo, almost a copycat of the demonstrations against our facility in Cairo, which were prompted, of course, by the video. Opportunistic extremist elements came to the consulate as this was unfolding. They came with heavy weapons, which unfortunately are readily available in post-revolutionary Libya, and it escalated into a much more violent episode. In the face of GOP criticism, the president said Rice was simply passing on the best information the intelligence community had at the time.

“If Senator McCain and Senator Graham and others want to go after somebody, they should go after me,” Obama said. “And I’m happy to have that discussion with them. But for them to go after the U.N. ambassador, who had nothing to do with Benghazi and was simply making a presentation based on intelligence that she had received and to besmirch her reputation is outrageous.”

Instead Republicans decided to continue to go after Rice, a lead adviser on the president’s first campaign.

Rice was not just another adviser; aides of both have told me Obama considered her someone he had a strong kinship with. — Perry Bacon Jr. (@perrybaconjr) December 13, 2012

She was one of first national security wonks to join his camp in 2007 and played a big role suggesting Obama was experienced enough. — Perry Bacon Jr. (@perrybaconjr) December 13, 2012 9.55pm GMT

The Guardian’s Chris McGreal notes that criticism of Rice went beyond her performance after the Benghazi attack:

Although Republican ire focused on Rice’s role in the aftermath of the Benghazi attack that killed the US ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, she faced strong criticism from other quarters over her backing of African despots and her unflinching support of Israel. Hours before Rice withdrew from the race, Robert Wexler, a six-term former congressman who now heads a pro-Israel think tank in Washington, said of her that “Israel has no greater champion in the current administration than Susan Rice”. That’s a view shared by some of her critics who say she has gone beyond the call of duty in projecting US policy on Israel to became a passionate defender of the Jewish state despite Binyamin Netanyahu’s policies, calling criticism at the UN “anti-Israel crap”. Rice went to lengths to woo the biggest of the pro-Israel lobby groups, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Rice has also come under strong criticism over her positions on Africa, most recently for trying to suppress a UN report strongly critical of the Rwandan government’s arming and other support for rebels in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rice was a national security official in Bill Clinton’s White House who played a part in the US’s failure to act against the 1994 genocide of Rwanda’s Tutsis. Since then she has been an unswerving supporter of the Rwandan president, Paul Kagame, who as a Tutsi rebel leader put a stop to the genocide even in the face of a growing body of evidence his forces are bound up with years of war crimes in Congo. Rice has also come under criticism for supporting other authoritarian leaders in Africa. In September she delivered a eulogy for the late prime minister of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi, calling him “brilliant” and a “a true friend to me”. Meles had a long track record of bloody suppression of democracy. 9.39pm GMT

“I will do everything in my power to block [Rice] from being the United States secretary of state. She has proven that she either doesn’t understand or she is not willing to accept evidence on its face. There is no doubt five days later what this attack was and for” – Sen. John McCain on Fox News, Nov. 14, 2012

US Senator John McCain, speaks during the 8th Manama Dialogue security conference in Manama, Bahrain, 08 December 2012. The 8th Manama Dialogue organized by the London based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) which will run until 9 December 2012 will focus predominantly on Syria and broad regional security issues. EPA/MAZEN MAHDI US Senator John McCain, speaks during the 8th Manama Dialogue security conference in Manama, Bahrain, 08 December 2012.

McCain reaches for the brandy and mutters to himself, “It’s a great day for America.” Fade out. — David Corn (@DavidCornDC) December 13, 2012 9.35pm GMT

To many seasoned observers it looks like the president has just lost a high-profile fight with Republicans over a potential nominee he has very publicly defended, indeed is personally linked to.

BuzzFeed’s Ben Smith is reminded of the bloody Cabinet fights of Obama’s first term, when he had to nominate three commerce secretaries, including Bill Richardson, before he got one through, and when former Sen. Tom Daschle failed as a health secretary nominee. A bit of a repeat of very early term 1, esp on national security: Obama, bloodied up a little by the Hill, shows weakness. — Ben Smith (@BuzzFeedBen) December 13, 2012 9.29pm GMT

Hagel thought to be front-runner for defense slot

Rice’s withdrawal isn’t the only action in cabinet shuffling this afternoon. Earlier today Bloomberg News reported that former Sen. Chuck Hagel had the completed the vetting process to be the secretary of defense nominee. The report describes Hagel as “the leading candidate to become Obama’s next Secretary of Defense.”

Another senator, John Kerry, also had been mentioned as a potential defense pick, perhaps as a consolation prize were he to be denied the job he really wants, secretary of state, which was thought to be occupied by Susan Rice.

Now Rice is out at state. And Hagel may be in at defense. Which for John Kerry could mean victory.

Here’s the Bloomberg report:

Hagel, who served as an enlisted Army infantryman in Vietnam, has passed the vetting process at the White House Counsel’s office, said one of the people. The former Nebraska senator has told associates that he is awaiting final word from the president, said the other person. Both requested anonymity to discuss personnel matters. Other contenders are Michele Flournoy, former defense undersecretary for policy, and Ashton Carter, deputy defense secretary, administration officials have said. Obama invited Hagel to the White House on Dec. 4 to discuss the position with him, according to an administration official. The president hasn’t made a final decision, said another official. Both asked for anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney today declined to comment on whether Obama is considering Hagel, saying only that the two-term former lawmaker was widely respected. – 9.22pm GMT

Rice’s letter withdrawing her name

Here’s Rice’s letter to the president withdrawing from consideration as US secretary of state. “The position of secretary of state should never be politicized,” she says. Ambassador Susan Rice’s letter to President Obama (h/t: @thematthewkeys and @katierogers) 9.16pm GMT

The Guardian’s Ewen MacAskill sends President Obama’s full response on the Rice announcement. The president said he spoke with Rice today:

Today, I spoke to Ambassador Susan Rice, and accepted her decision to remove her name from consideration for Secretary of State. For two decades, Susan has proven to be an extraordinarily capable, patriotic, and passionate public servant. As my Ambassador to the United Nations, she plays an indispensable role in advancing America’s interests. Already, she has secured international support for sanctions against Iran and North Korea, worked to protect the people of Libya, helped achieve an independent South Sudan, stood up for Israel’s security and legitimacy, and served as an advocate for UN reform and the human rights of all people. I am grateful that Susan will continue to serve as our Ambassador at the United Nations and a key member of my cabinet and national security team, carrying her work forward on all of these and other issues. I have every confidence that Susan has limitless capability to serve our country now and in the years to come, and know that I will continue to rely on her as an advisor and friend. While I deeply regret the unfair and misleading attacks on Susan Rice in recent weeks, her decision demonstrates the strength of her character, and an admirable commitment to rise above the politics of the moment to put our national interests first. The American people can be proud to have a public servant of her caliber and character representing our country. 9.13pm GMT

Obama ‘deeply regrets the unfair and misleading attack’ on Rice CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller gets the response from President Obama, who says he “deeply regrets the unfair and misleading attack” on Rice, but her decision “demonstrates the strength of her character & an admirable commitment to rise above politics.” In written statement, Pres Obama says he “deeply regrets the unfair and misleading attack” on Susan Rice, — Mark Knoller (@markknoller) December 13, 2012

In his first press conference after his reelection, the president struck a note of unusual perturbance in responding to Republican attacks on Rice.

“[Rice] has done exemplary work,” he said. “She has represented the United States… with skill and professionalism and toughness and grace. … and if Sen. McCain and Sen. Graham and others want to go after somebody, they should go after me.” 9.11pm GMT

Rice out of the running for secretary of state

UN ambassador Susan Rice has withdrawn her name from consideration for secretary of state, NBC News has reported. A potential nomination for Rice, who for months was perceived to be the president’s top pick, has been the object of fierce opposition from Republicans, who accuse her of misconduct following the September attack on Benghazi.

“If nominated, I am now convinced that the confirmation process would be lengthy, disruptive and costly – to you and to our most pressing national and international priorities,” Rice wrote in a letter to President Obama obtained by NBC. “That trade-off is simply not worth it to our country … Therefore, I respectfully request that you no longer consider my candidacy at this time.”

We’ll be live-blogging developments. 9.04pm GMT

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Good honourable and ethical move by Rice. Rice has decided to ditch crony politics by sacrificing an opportunity that destroys democracy. Frankly ‘friends’ or seat holders in other places should not be ‘re-given’ posts. This should be something a panel should vote on and willing volunteers from a talent pool should sign on for for their 15 minutes of fame.

More than any other politician in America, her candidacy would change the contours of the next election.

Every Democrat with ambitions to succeed President Obama wants to know the answer to one question: Is Hillary Clinton going to run? If so, many will decide against doing so themselves. Who wants to square off against an opponent who’ll have a better fundraising operation, a better resume, and a spouse who happens to be America’s best surrogate? At the moment when the first black president is preparing to leave the White House, who will want to run against someone with a more than viable chance of becoming the first woman president?

“She seems like Democrats’ best bet, perhaps by some margin, to extend their winning streak to three or more terms in the White House,” Nate Silver notes. “If she ran even a point or two stronger than a ‘generic’ Democrat, the odds would shift meaningfully in her favor, holding other circumstances equal.”

But say Clinton doesn’t run. That changes everything, doesn’t it? Any Democratic primary without her would be dubbed “wide open.” Joe Biden may try to succeed his boss either way. But he is eminently beatable, as every aspiring alternative knows. He wouldn’t scare anyone away.

I won’t speculate about whether she’ll run. We’ll know in time. I’ll just say that it matters now that we don’t know, insofar as the uncertainty itself affects present behavior among certain Democrats.

I’d prefer it if Hillary Clinton stayed out of future races. My instinct is that she’d abuse executive power and civil liberties every bit as much as the man who appointed her to be secretary of state, especially now that he has acclimated the left to transgressing against transparency and the rule of law. What I can’t deny to Democrats is the likelihood that her foreign policy experience would permit her to retain her party’s edge on those issues, especially if she ran against someone as inexperienced as Marco Rubio, whose foreign-policy chops are hard to take seriously.

Grizzled feels more reassuring than boyish, does it not?

That isn’t to say she’d be a lock in the general election. About the only prediction I’m willing to make about Election 2016 is that Hillary Clinton would be a strong candidate barring a scandal.

But “likeable enough” to win?

What I’ll be most interested to see, if she does run, is how the conservative movement reacts to her candidacy. With relative sanity, insofar as they can’t very well accuse her of being a Kenyan anti-colonialist? With a return to the anti-Clintonian fervor of the 1990s? I suspect the latter reaction wouldn’t play well. Politicians who hang around long enough seem to become inured even to scandals in which they were actually caught red-handed. There isn’t anything so clear cut in Clinton’s past, and if many Americans are like me, the word “Whitewater” would send an involuntary shudder of dread coursing through the population, as if we were collectively told we’d have to re-watch the pre-trial motions from the O.J. Simpson trial while sequestered in a cheap hotel with nothing for diversion but Clinton-era back issues of The American Spectator.

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Can see the family blocs in 3rd world countries ready to jump on this opportunity to justify nepotism . . . do the right thing USA. Political culture is bad enough as is. Then the impossibly timely occurance below :

First stomach virus THEN concussion after ‘accepting’ the run for Presidency? (After Bill then Hillary, what next? Clinton’s children for President as well? Might as well run and declare USA a monarchy . . . no hate there but the 3rd world really cannot do with any justifications for nepotism arising from USA of all places! The Presidency of the United States and even so many high official posts should never be a hand down post, if a seat has been held by a family member, no way should the seat be allowed to another from the Clintons – the friends and cronies issue of seat/post hand downs are already bad enough, don’t start a trend . . . ) False flag or a warning by greater forces or even a warning by USA to 3rd world countries in the form of a false flag? Anything to put a stop to nepotism which destroys democracy and leads to dictatorship.

ARTICLE 10

Charlie Gonzalez’s Departure from Congress Marks End to Political Dynasty – Published December 17, 2012 – Fox News Latino

Charlie Gonzalez

San Antonio, Tex. – The retirement from Congress of Rep. Charlie Gonzalez is ending a half-century streak during which his father, then he, served in Congress, representing their San Antonio district.

The outgoing chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus served 14 years after replacing his famous father, Henry B. Gonzalez, who carved out a lasting legacy as a political reformer and civil rights leader.

Charlie Gonzalez, a Texas Democrat, is returning to private life after deciding to not seek an eighth term. Taking his seat is Joaquin Castro, whose family packs its own celebrity pedigree: His twin brother is San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, a rising star on the national stage who was the keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention this year.

Charlie Gonzalez told the San Antonio Express-News that he’s leaving with a “sense of sadness.”

“It’s a job, but it’s an incredible job. The people, the surroundings, nothing compares to it,” Gonzalez said. “It is bittersweet. That is the best way to describe it.”

Charlie Gonzalez was first elected in 1988. His father served for 37 years and was chairman of the House Banking Committee, which wielded power over financial institutions and was instrumental in pushing reforms. The elder Gonzalez used that clout to push for public housing and programs for the homeless.

Larry Hufford, a political science professor at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, said the elder Gonzalez pursued social justice in a time when it wasn’t fashionable. Charlie Gonzalez represented a 20th congressional district that, by the end of this last term, covered impoverished barrios on the city’s West side as well as middle-class and affluent neighborhoods to the north.

When it came to national issue, Charlie Gonzalez used his status Hispanic Caucus chairman to push for immigration reform.

“Charlie was able to carry on that legacy with a much different style; more low-keyed but very effective,” Hufford said.

Charlie Gonzalez dismissed suggestions that he could wind up being an appointee in President Barack Obama’s second term or be elected to a statewide office. A Democrat hasn’t been elected statewide in Texas since 1994.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Gonzalez’s decision to leave Congress marks the “end of an era.”

“To decide on my own when to leave Congress, that wasn’t a decision wasted on me,” Charlie Gonzalez said. “I’m a blessed individual. Rather than having circumstances imposed on my life, I’m looking forward to this next chapter in my life. It is my encore career.”

This is based on a story by The Associated Press.

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Rare example of ethics. there is nothing beneficial personally for Gonzalez in quitting, but every such quit makes Democracy stronger and makes nepotism and oligarchy weaker. THIS should be the criteria for state awards or monuments than anything else. There is no end to wealth and power, and once enough politicians focus their value system on higher values away from the greed or power-madness fog, the super-pac, too big to fail, and plutocrat/corporate lobbyist and eventually the economy issues, will be easier to fathom and deal with. This is a form of ethics, as preventing nepotism is as dangerous as corruption in politics.

Tanis Baker, 21, dressed as a ninja to ‘strike fear in the hearts of criminals
He was arrested after officers who spotted him became concerned
He was soon surrounded by armed police, dogs and a helicopter
Two hidden rucksacks containing smokebombs and costumes found after arrest

Comic book fan: Tanis Baker told police he was a vigilante in a ninja costume after police arrested him while armed with a homemade wooden Samurai sword

A would-be vigilante was arrested by armed police after he dressed up as a ninja and armed himself with a wooden Samurai sword.

Mystery man-in-black Tanis Baker, 21, wanted to ‘strike fear’ in the hearts of criminals in his neighbourhood just like his comic book idols.

But a court heard Baker ended up on the wrong side of the law after dressing up in ninja-style black body armour and a mask.

He armed himself with smoke bombs and a home-made wooden Samurai sword then crouched in the darkness in a park ready to pounce on any troublemakers.

But a police officer saw Baker in the shadows – and he called for back-up because of his concerns over the mystery figure.

Within minutes he was surrounded by armed officers, police dogs and a helicopter hovering overhead above Beechwood Park in Newport, South Wales.

He was arrested and officers found two hidden rucksacks containing seven smoke bombs and other vigilante costumes.

Magistrates at Cwmbran, South Wales, heard he told police he was a ‘vigilante in a costume’ and that he wanted to help people in trouble.

He claimed to be the ‘eyes and ears’ of the police on the streets and wanted to strike fear into criminals.

The probation officer who assessed him said Baker was a fan of American comic book superheroes.

His probation report said: ‘He seems to get confused between fantasy and reality and sometimes had trouble distinguishing between what was in comic books and what was real life.’

The court heard that in real life Baker is no superhero but works as a barman in a snooker club in Newport, South Wales.

Hi-ya! Mr Tanis said he dressed up as a ninja to ‘strike fear’ in the hearts of criminals in Newport (picture posed by model)

Louise Warren, defending, said: ‘Baker was bullied for many years and struggled growing up in his neighbourhood.

‘He was attacked by a gang of youths while out with his sister a year ago, but police were unable to find the offenders.

‘Since then Baker has wanted to help the police to protect society.’

The court heard Baker was asked what he would do if he encountered a real crime and said he had not thought that far ahead.

Superhero: How Baker might have looked when he was arrested while dressed as a vigilante ninja

He was given a 12-month supervision order and ordered to carry out 60 hours unpaid work.

Chairman of the magistrates Paul Lavin, said: ‘You may have thought you were helping but you caused a lot of trouble.

‘Do not do this in future or else you’ll be in big trouble.’

Baker, of Cwmbran, South Wales, admitted having an offensive weapon in a public place.

He declined to comment after the case.

Storm in a teacup as The Ninja of Newport has to meet the authorities somehow when he makes his introduction but now he could supply them with a trusty Ninjaphone to ring him in their hour of need to save the day and help restore law and order showing the baddies there’s a new guy in town and his name is THE NINJA OF NEWPORT!!! *plays national anthem*

– Stuart , Edinburgh Scotland, United Kingdom, 13/12/2012 18:34

We need more vigilantes on the street, but we criminalise them instead. Take Phoenix jones of Seattle, he and his friends do a great job, lawfully and prevent crimes, as well as assisting law officers.

– Illuminati cards , Bunker, 13/12/2012 18:49

What part was illegal ? Smoke bombs aren’t illegal, they are let off at paintballing sites, and wooden sticks aren’t illegal unless something new has happened, that makes drumming against the law.

– mileage , Barry, 13/12/2012 18:49

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Look here anyone is allowed to cosplay a ninja or favourite super hero (or Otaku genre!) character. Orwell has taken over Newport. More ‘ninjas’ or cosplayers should lurk ‘ in the shadows ‘, SPECIFICALLY to see what the local enforcement does. Good work Tanis! Now we all know that Newport is not a free sort of place. A really free minded place would give a verbal warning or even co-opt the ‘ninja’ as an eccentric member of the neighbourhood watch who refused to work with the formal watch. More cosplayers! And know that permission for carrying actual weapons can be obtained and if registered should not be an offence.

But a wooden sword? Thats not even a weapon. A really long carving knife is more dangerous than a wooden sword and is legal to carry around. A handgun is more dangerous than the above and still is legal. Lurking might be addressed with a simple request. And the reasons given are only to protect society! What gives Newport? More cosplayers and lurkers EVERYWHERE! How about openly walking around with masks, costumes and ‘lurking’ in corners for the rest of the week Newporters! I’m surprised Tanis did not challenge the judgment. Where’s that US culture of freedom and vigilante-ism? For the conservative types, try Cowboys and Indians with camping knives, whips and 6 shooters for a start . . . set up camp in a ‘lurky’ area EVERYDAY in shifts. See what the local enforcement does . . . we’ll know where Orwell LURKS instead – then set up a map of ‘people friendly’ and ‘people unfriendly’ places, the 99% will know how to vote or which laws to amend . . .

House Speaker John Boehner has made a decision that will make some wealthy Americans squeal, while making most Americans smile.

Boehner, after weeks of rhetoric that Republicans and Democrats were miles apart on fiscal cliff talks, relented on a stance that high earners shouldn’t see higher taxes. Now, Boehner has agreed to raise taxes on Americans making more than $1 million, reversing an earlier position that all Bush Era tax cuts should stand.

The move by Boehner is particularly significant for several reasons. First, it’s a gesture toward compromise— Democrats wanted taxes raised on Americans making more than $250,000, while Republicans, at first, would have none of it—and suggests the two sides may finally become serious about averting the fiscal cliff. Next, the tax hikes would increase federal coffers by some $1 trillion over 10 years; President Obama has demanded $1.4 trillion in new revenue, but at least the pols’ figures are growing closer. And Boehener’s decision is a refreshing signal that, when confronted with dire forecasts—like the one that predicts a recession to start 2013 if the fiscal cliff happens—Washington, D.C can put aside partisinism and past promises. Though, I imagine that Grover Norsquist takes little glee from Boehner’s shift.

Republicans are the first to sacrifice a sacred cow. Now, Democrats must too. What mostly impedes progress? Some $200 billion. That’s the difference between the spending cuts in federal health care programs that Republicans want ($600 billion) and Democrats want ($400 billion).

Investors will probably take this move by the pols as evidence that a deal will eventually come. We haven’t piled out of stocks quite like you might think. Indeed, the major benchmarks this month have gained about 4%. There hasn’t been that complete flight to safety—into the cash-generative arms of Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola and Walt Disney—and away from risk—fleeing the speculation around a Research In Motion comeback or better times for Alpha Natural.

Still, the cliff today looks less like a chasm than it did just a few days earlier.

Reach Abram Brown at abrown@forbes.com.

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Squeal? What they earn in a year is an entire lifetimes 401K or many times more than 401K which the 99% takes decades to earn, these wealthy Americans are just SPOILT. Boehner did good, and if the wealthy Americans are too squealy, they are welcome to move to a favourite country of their choice – as mentioned before all assets a country has are land and resource divided by number of citizens not useless fiat. the US A will be happy to have 1 citizen less and more to share among those who stay.

ARTICLE 12.5

French wealthy ‘feel victimised by tax’ – by Hugh Schofield – 10 December 2012 Last updated at 15:02 GMT Help

Actor Gerard Depardieu has become the latest wealthy person to flee France’s 75% tax on those earning over 1m euros a year.

The star has bought a house over the border in the Belgian village of Nechin.

France’s richest man, Bernard Arnault has already applied for Belgian citizenship and thousands of other wealthy French people are making the move.

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The ‘wealthiest’ will NEVER pay enough because in 1 year they earn 10 lifetimes what most ‘wealthiest’ Frenchmen earn in decades EVEN AFTER TAX. No place for Marie Antoinettes here . . . and 75% tax is not enough because they can hold assets up to 75,000% of what the ordinary french person has with the very wealthiest earning 7500% of what the 99% does EVEN AFTER TAX. 75% of 100 million of the less ecxeptional wealthiest is still 25 million in earnings, 75% of 10 million is 2.5 million in earnings which is easily 10 times what the 99% earn in a lifetime . . . Victimised?

Some Frenchmen can’t even buy French bread or have a French roof! That money goes to social services not banquets for the French officials I hope, otherwise time to storm the Bastille again . . . 75% tax is farcical considering the above facts.

The issue of child prostitution and its supposed alter-ego, adult prostitution, are personal to me because I’ve experienced both, having been prostituted between the ages of fifteen and twenty-two.

I sometimes think of what those who knew nothing of me would have thought of me, as they caught glimpses of me, on the different stages of those seven years. Who doubts that the majority would have looked at my young teenaged self and wondered what sort of world we lived in? And who doubts, if they’re honest, that many would have looked at my young adult self and wondered what sort of women populated it?

This is the dichotomy of adult and child and they are viewed as very separate, very distinct, so that there is a clearly perceived line between these stages, these ages, but in fact it is not a line. It is a bridge. It is a bridge that spans the in-between; that gap that connects the points in the lives of so many women who were prostituted first as children then as adults. I lived that bridge in my own prostitution life, when I was turning from a child into a woman, and I was used sexually for money on most of the days that made up my adolescence, as I was before in childhood and afterwards in early adulthood. And here is the crux of the matter: it was all the same nightmare to me.

People chose though, before and after those in-between years, whether I was blameless or blameworthy. In the interim, while I existed in the in-between, each individual who looked at me or fucked me had the privilege of making up their own mind. Many did, and most chose the latter.

After that, when I was identifiably a woman, it was not a case of ‘most’ anymore, but ‘almost all’ – because almost all those who looked at me in my young adulthood decided that I’d chosen what was happening, and saw it as what I was doing rather than what was being done to me.

The ‘done to me’ aspect died, you see, along with my adolescence in the perspectives of other people. The problem was it didn’t die, and I was still alive, living the ‘done to me’ reality every day.

As a fourteen-year-old girl, a full year before I ever started prostituting, I first realised that some men felt an actual entitlement to my body. This was perfectly expressed by the extreme belligerence they’d display when I rejected their advances. They would be so angry. ‘How dare you?’ said their actions. I couldn’t make any sense of that attitude. It was literally like someone was speaking in a foreign language to me, and it was a foreign language in a sense; it was the language of sexual entitlement. I became fluent in the language eventually, but fluent in the sense of someone speaking a language not of their origin; someone who can understand it audibly, but will never be able to write it.

At that time though, I couldn’t imagine how anyone could think it was okay to walk up to someone on the street and wrap your arms around them, or grope somebody, or growl what you’d like to do to them into their ear. But I had all these experiences as a fourteen-year-old girl and I’d had three approaches by paedophiles as a pre-pubescent child, and still I could not fathom why and how this was supposed to be acceptable in the view of these men, why this was supposed to be okay. I remember one man’s surprise and affront as he told me “You’re very standoffish!” after I pulled away from a physical embrace I didn’t initiate, ask for, permit or fucking want.

These experiences came thick and fast from the age of fourteen, when I began to be more noticeably developing breasts. It is little wonder I became fluent in the language of male sexual entitlement. Facial expressions, aggressive stances, weary sighs, protracted silences – all these too make up part of that language, all these are used to communicate the idea that you’re expected to consent when a man decides he will have rights to your body.

So I’d had some schooling, in that sense, as to what prostitution expected of me. What I didn’t know was how bad it was going to get. I couldn’t have known that before I experienced it. It was unknowable. Well, I soon found out, and what I found out didn’t get any better on the day I turned eighteen and it didn’t get any better on the day I turned twenty-one either.

They bother me, these stupid irrelevant lines that are drawn that attempt to divide the lived reality of the prostitution experience based on whether a female is fifteen or seventeen, seventeen or nineteen, eighteen or twenty. They are diversions to the central matter at hand; they divert from the core issue. They disappear the fact that this is wrong, not only by degrees that deepen with the youthfulness of its target, but by its nature, so that all those who’ve been paid for sex they do not want have suffered sexual abuse. There is a shelf-life for women in prostitution, but there is no shelf-life for the nature of prostitution. Its abusive core does not morph into something else on a person’s eighteenth birthday. Not that many men wait that long in the first place.

And on that note, people need to start querying what is the criterion for fuckability according to sex-buying men? What is their divining rod for ‘of age’? Is it a pair of breasts? My experience of prostitution is that it is any pair of breasts, regardless that they’re still developing; and this we’ve got to see as a form of sexual selfishness that has decayed to the point where it’s putrid. It is also a nonsense of a position, because if a pair of breasts at any stage of development signify completed womanhood then every females adulthood actually began at the onset of puberty; not began to form, but began in full. Every woman was a woman before she was a woman, by that ludicrous standard.

I am sure we will have a lot of indignation from sex buyers on this point, but as a fifteen-year-old child with developing breasts I was abused by a multitude of these men every day; men, some of whom would never have considered themselves paedophiles or predators or abusers – and I saw the same men pay to use the bodies of other adolescents with breasts, one of them just thirteen years old, so I can assure the reader that these men assured themselves wherever there was the presence of breasts there was the absence of childhood.

Added to this, men who buy sex are obsessed with the act of despoilment; they are, as a group, blatantly obsessed with the desire to fuck the youngest girl they can find. The upshot of this of course is that there is great commercial value placed on youth in prostitution. I have thought at length and written a little about Prostitution and the Commercial Value of Youth, and I know both that this exists as a reality in prostitution and that is speaks with great clarity to the putrid sexual selfishness I’ve just mentioned.

So adolescents are fair game in prostitution; I’ve made my point, but it’s important also to look at an uncanny resemblance here: adolescence is the physical reality, the mirror image made flesh and form, of that place where a woman is halfway between being prostituted and being trafficked. That point where women go to other countries knowing they’ll be working in the sex trade, but not knowing what that reality really means, or not knowing that they’ll be charged four and five figure sums for the privilege of their prostitutions organisation. This is another of prostitutions in-betweens. They exist in various forms, and very often these mid-spectrum situations are misrepresented and then misappropriated so that they can be used to gloss over the reality of the sex trade. For example those women who are working back thousands of euros/dollars/pounds of money they supposedly ‘owe’ are not classified as trafficking victims, although that is what they are. The sex industry calls them ‘independent escorts’ and ignores and erases the misery of their lives.

In the same way, people who live prostitution during the transition between childhood and adulthood must be mislabelled and filed away, inconvenient as they are. They must be either a child or an adult according to the sex industry, and also, disturbingly, to some anti-trafficking groups. Some groups decide to find a way around this by subdividing adolescence into stages where those from twelve to fourteen are deemed worthy of sympathy and attention, while fifteen to seventeen-year-olds are brushed to one side with the gut-churning excuse that they have so much more ‘personal agency’.

When, I would like to ask the senior members of these groups, did my personal agency begin? Because by their criterion it seems to me it began at the stroke of midnight as I entered my fifteenth year, which makes me feel like a very sorry version of Cinderella; except the slipper in this fairytale was never going to fit because it had been shattered, and believe me, Prince Charming was nowhere to be seen. I had no more personal agency at fifteen than I had the year before, in fact I had significantly less, because at fourteen I had only six months of homelessness behind me; at fifteen I had a year and a half. In homelessness your desperation increases with time, not decreases. If people think ‘personal agency’ always increases with the forward march of time they are lucky people who’ve never had to deal with the miserable conditions of their own lives intensifying with time, and they’re obviously so detached from that life experience they’ve never even considered it.

By drawing distinctions between trafficking and prostitution, between under and over eighteen, some well-intentioned anti-trafficking organisations acquiesce to the perpetuation of a system known to be extremely violent and damaging while continuing to stigmatise and blame most of its victims. This stigmatisation maintains the disempowerment and marginalisation of the same population these groups want to help. It also empowers the predators who prey on our most vulnerable, whether under or over eighteen.

FreeIrishWoman

ARTICLE 14

Prostitution and the Commercial Value of Youth – Posted on June 3, 2012

People who argue that prostitution would be free of coercion, trafficking, the exploitation of minors – and everything else that prevents it from being some kind of all-above-board consenting-adults-only autonomy party – are people who ignore one vital aspect of prostitutions reality. It is the commercial value of youth.

Just as in some actual industries, like modelling or professional dance, youth is highly prized among attributes. Unlike modelling or dance though, youth in prostitution is prized far above beauty and the fluidity of movement. In order to be most highly in demand in prostitution, you don’t need to be the prettiest flower in the field; you just need to be among the youngest. And what you can or cannot do with your body is irrelevant; it just matters that it hasn’t been on the planet for very long.

One of the commonest questions that comes through on any brothels phone line is ‘What age is the youngest girl you have?’ I could not count the times I have been asked that question, and I defy anybody who has answered a brothels phone to tell the blatant lie that it is not the commonest question they’ve been asked too.

The commercial value of youth is so profoundly built-in to prostitution that women routinely lie about their age in order to generate more business. The clients know this, of course, and even as women are shaving a few years off clients are adding a few on. ‘I’m twenty-six – I’ll tell him I’m twenty-three’ / ‘She’s twenty-three? – that means she’s twenty-six’.

Nobody’s fooling anybody here, and the only thing the whole pathetic charade is any good for is the revealing nature of what’s going on behind the pretence. What it reveals, of course, is that men who buy bodies for sex usually want to buy the youngest body they can find.

Last year it was reported to the BBC that prostitutes as young as thirteen were working the streets in Swindon, in the English county of Wiltshire. “Come here at the weekend and you’ll get 13-year-old girls to 19-year-old girls out here”, one prostitute told reporters.

When I read reports like these I just sigh. It tires me to pre-empt the shock people will express. It tires me to imagine that shock, whether it is genuine or not, because if it is genuine then that proves we have a long way to go in educating people about the reality of prostitution, and if it is not, well then, here is yet more in a tsunami of evidence that there are those who do not want the reality of prostitution understood.

Whenever any evidence of teenaged prostitution is revealed the pro-prostitution lobby move immediately to put forth the preposterous assertion that this town is somehow different or unique. The attitude is always either ‘thirteen-year-olds, good Lord, who ever heard of such a thing?’ – or ‘thirteen-year-olds, good Lord, we could clear up this situation if we legalised prostitution!’ – as if somehow the demand for adolescent bodies would vanish if only we’d make the sale of adult bodies okay!

Usually, however, they will simply deny that adolescent prostitution is widespread, or that adolescents are much in demand in the first place.

‘How do we know this is true?’ will come the query from the pro-prostitution lobby. It is not a query in the genuine sense of the word. A real query seeks an answer. This query seeks to obscure the same answer it purports to be seeking.

This will seem strange and confusing to some people. It is neither strange nor confusing to me; I’ve been exposed to the tactics of the pro-prostitution lobby for too long to be surprised or confused by these sorts of seemingly tangled and nonsensical tactics. What people need to understand is that they are not nonsensical. These are obscurest policies and they are purposeful and predictable, and when you understand their purpose you will have no problem predicting them too.

Their purpose is consistently the same; it is to deny and refute the sick and twisted nature of what actually goes on in prostitution. The truth they don’t want to you know is that men who pay for sex will most often opt to pay for a fifteen-year-old over a seventeen-year-old, a seventeen-year-old over a nineteen-year-old, a nineteen-year-old over a twenty-one-year-old, and so on and so forth.

Now, let me be very clear about this – I will be called a liar for having asserted the above. It will be said that I am trying to demonise punters, that I am telling lies about their preferences and proclivities. I wish I was. In my first year in prostitution, when I was fifteen-years-old, I was used by countless hundreds of men; I truly couldn’t say how many. I saw up to ten men a day so you may do the maths for yourself (the thoughts of doing that calculation disturbs me). As I stated in my Examiner article back in February, men were so obviously aroused by my youth it made them climax very quickly, so I soon learned to tell them how old I was in order to shorten the whole ordeal. I made it a policy; it was one of the first things I said when I got into the car – not that I needed to bring up the subject because it was usually one of the first questions asked of me.

In all those hundreds of men, one man, just ONE, turned his van around and brought me back to where he’d found me.

So yes, those who advocate for legalised or decriminalised prostitution will do their damnedest to obscure the truth about the high commercial value placed on young bodies in prostitution, all the while squawking ‘Where’s the evidence? Where’s the evidence?’ – like some kind of belligerent and demented parrot, with all the repetitiveness and severe comprehension issues you’d expect. All beak and no brains, in other words.

This is to be expected; of course the pro-prostitution lobby don’t want you to know that girls who are post-puberty by only a year or two are routinely lusted after, sought out, highly prized and then abused for enough years ‘till they’ve lost much of their commercial value. If that was widely known, it would do a great deal of damage to the autonomous, sexually-liberated, empowerment fantasy depiction they are consistently trying to peddle.

As for ‘Where’s the evidence?’ – I don’t need to ask that question. When I was a fifteen-year-old prostitute I was FAR more in-demand than I ever was as a twenty-two-year-old, even though at twenty-two I was slim, pretty, and an extremely youthful woman; but therein lay the problem. I was a woman.

There is huge emphasis placed on the commercial value of youth in prostitution. ‘The evidence’ is in every brothel and red-light zone in the land, and I know that because I lived the evidence.

A good blog post typifying a particular ‘staid’ type of sex worker who happened to start working out of necessity early from environmental issues, but has somehow remained in the field by choice while not liking the field too much. Perhaps some personal issues about being denied other opportuunities when younger. @FreeIrishWoman seems to enjoy the sense of indignation working as a sex worker and who knows in some twisted manner, gains strength at the cutting at the conscience of her clients one can read from the writing. The ethical hirers who do want 100% consensual and a clear conscience should give this particular worker a skip. The ‘mean’ lot who gravitate from morality to desire from religious probably, would doubtless be twice attracted. While sex would be available, sex positivism is not to be found here!

Decriminalising prostitution could mean better safety and improved relations with police for sex workers. A series of gang attacks on brothels in east London has triggered calls for changes to the prostitution laws after victims who reported knifepoint robberies said they ended up being threatened with prosecution. A police investigation has been launched as senior Labour and Conservative members of the London assembly and the English Collective of Prostitutes allege that violent crime is being given a lower priority than less serious sex offences.

The attacks highlight the growing debate over calls for New Zealand’s pioneering decriminalisation of sex work to be considered – an approach recently supported by the Association of Chief Police Officers. What is said by sex workers to be a spate of robberies – involving cash and jewellery – coincides with an increase in police raids on east London addresses being used as brothels before the 2012 London Olympics.

The first address targeted was in Barking, east London, on 6 December. A video showing five men apparently breaking into another house in the area being used by sex workers is also being studied by officers. The women who made the first complaint allege they recognise some of the gang members from the YouTube clip. In a third attack, at a different address, a woman who worked as a maid at a brothel is alleged to have been raped by the gang. None of the victims there reported the offence for fear of being charged by officers with living off the proceeds of prostitution; the police say they are so far unaware of this incident.

The ECP said changes to the law, in response to fears over the forcible trafficking of foreign sex workers into Britain, have made it more difficult for women to work together in houses for safety. A letter of complaint sent by Niki Adams, a leading ECP activist who works with Legal Action for Women, to the borough police commander in Barking last month, said the way the investigation into the first incident had been pursued had discouraged “sex workers from reporting attacks”. The letter continued: “The 6 December attack was at knifepoint and the women felt they had to try and protect themselves. They think the assailants may well be the same people who have robbed them before, who have got away with it, and so have returned and become more violent as they have got bolder.

“Targeting women for prosecution in this way undermines any attempts to catch those who attack and exploit sex workers … We are receiving reports of incidents where women have been attacked and their attackers have told them brazenly that they know women won’t dare go to the police.” Adams believes there may have been as many as 20 attacks in the area over the past two years. The Metropolitan police confirmed it was aware of the 6 December attack and the YouTube video and is investigating whether the attacks are linked. “We can confirm that we were called to an alleged incident of aggravated burglary at an address in Victoria Road, Barking,” a statement said.

“Patrolling officers arrived at the scene and were quickly accompanied by scene of crime officers and detectives from Barking and Dagenham CID. Detectives also visited the venue on a further occasion to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident. “Unfortunately, those at the address were unwilling to substantiate the allegation or further assist with the investigation despite a number of attempts for them to do so. The case remains under investigation and should any further information come to light it will of course be vigorously pursued.” The force said “a notice has been served to the registered owner of the venue in Victoria Road under the auspices of section 33a of the Sexual Offences Act 1956. The notice formally notified the recipient that they were liable to prosecution should the premises in Victoria Road remain in use as a brothel”. Referring to the YouTube video, the police said: “We are looking to see if the attacks are linked. Officers take any such reports extremely seriously and actively encourage all members of the community, particularly those who may be vulnerable to such incidents, to come forward and contact police. “Officers at Barking and Dagenham work hard to ensure that the borough remains a safe place for all residents. The welfare of victims remains our primary concern and we acknowledge that some members of the community are more vulnerable and susceptible to crime. “We strive to encourage and support female victims and to assist us further we are in the process of launching a bespoke multi-agency victim care service. This will see female victims receiving the best possible support and will include fast-track referrals to housing and health professionals as well as Safer Neighbourhood reassurance intervention.”

Prostitution itself is not illegal but associated activities – such as kerb crawling, placing advertising cards in phoneboxes and working in premises with more than one person available for paid sex – are outlawed.

Last November Simon Byrne, Acpo’s lead officer on prostitution and sexual exploitation, suggested there was a need for a fresh look at the legal balance. Then deputy chief constable of Greater Manchester, Byrne is in the process of moving to the Met as assistant commissioner. “There is a great amount of academic research available, much of which supports the view that an alternative approach is needed,” he wrote on his official Acpo blog. “An example would be the decriminalisation and regulation of brothels in Australia and New Zealand, not an answer to all of the related issues but certainly a solution to some.

“More of those involved in sex work in Australia and New Zealand can now access health services with ease, whilst maintaining more personal security in an emotive area for policing.”

Another proponent of reform is Andrew Boff, a Conservative member of the London assembly. “The law is framed so as to put women [sex workers] into the most vulnerable position,” he said. “The changes brought in by the last government seemed to [be derived from] the view that every single worker in the sex trade was trafficked. “People are not willing to come forward over these attacks. When they report them, the women themselves have had action taken against them. I’m compiling a report on the problem for Boris Johnson.”

Len Duvall, the leader of the Labour group at the London assembly, said: “We need to examine in greater detail information and case studies from those countries that have sought to legalise prostitution, including the model put forward by New Zealand, especially if it provides a degree of protection for sex workers and reduces crimes associated with prostitution.

“Where brothels have not posed a problem to the wider community and there has been no evidence of sex trafficking, I have heard evidence that the police have taken an inconsistent and heavy-handed approach in dealing with sex workers. There is also evidence that crimes against sex workers are being ignored.”

Earlier this month, Sheila Farmer, a sex worker who operated with other women out of shared premises, had charges of brothel-keeping against her dismissed at Croydon crown court. The Crown Prosecution Service said there had been no change in enforcement policy; the unexpected failure of a witness to appear led to the charge being withdrawn. Farmer said she had chosen to work with other women for safety because she had been attacked previously when working alone.

Nigel Richardson, the solicitor who represented her, said he was aware of another case in Surrey where women had reported an attack on their flat from a rival operation. “They were visited by two men who threatened the women and were pouring petrol around the place,” he said.

“My client called the police. Officers intially took the attack very seriously but eventually arrested my client. The men were never brought to book for an assault but my client was prosecuted for running a brothel.”

Tim Barnett, the British-born former New Zealand MP who pushed through his adopted country’s decriminalisation legislation in 2003, was in London before Christmas where he briefed Boff and Duvall. “We said let’s make the law the best to minimise harm,” he said at the time. “We set up a review of the legislation. A number of people said the number of sex workers would rise.

“So we reviewed it after five years in 2008. The review didn’t find any increase and there was an improvement in the relationship with the police. Sex workers were using their rights under the legislation to deal with poor-quality brothel owners or clients who had been behaving abusively.”

Think deeper and not be influenced by the agenda laden NPPs . . . this is NOT to be used as ‘proof’ of support of rape. This is the offense that might cause rape . . .

ARTICLE 16

NHS doctors to be forced to work weekends for the first time in push for improved seven-day a week care – by Daily Mail Reporter – PUBLISHED: 15:45 GMT, 16 December 2012 | UPDATED: 23:19 GMT, 16 December 2012

Oupatients appointments and surgical procedures could be carried out on Saturdays and Sundays for the first time
The shake up is part of plans by Sir Bruce Keogh, medical director of the new NHS Commissioning Board

Seven days: Sir Bruce Keogh plans to introduce seven day working to the NHS

Doctors could be forced to work at weekends under plans to create a health service with supermarket-style opening hours.

Sir Bruce Keogh, the NHS’s medical director, said that patients, like shoppers, should be entitled to the same quality of service on Saturday and Sunday as during the week.

He said it was no longer acceptable for hospitals and GPs’ surgeries to operate for the convenience of their staff at the expense of patients and that clinics and day case operations should be available seven days a week.

It should also be possible to get weekend hospital appointments for scans and GPs should provide slots to treat patients at weekends, he said.

The proposal is to be considered by the NHS Commissioning Board in an effort to improve access to healthcare.

He told the Sunday Times: ‘Our system has been based around providing as good a working environment as you can for the people who work in the health service, which isn’t necessarily matched with what the people who want services have.

‘If you wanted a day case operation, and you didn’t want to take a day off work, why can’t you have it on a Saturday or Sunday?’

‘Tesco have had to go through this – it was a complex issue for them – we will need to look at the terms and conditions or service of people.’

He added that having empty clinics and operating theatres on a Saturday and Sunday is a waste of NHS resources.

Research by the board found that a patient admitted to hospital on a Sunday was 16 per cent more likely to die than if they were admitted on a Wednesday.

Keogh can introduce the changes and implement financial rewards and penalties to ensure that hospitals follow the guidelines.

Contract changes: Many medical professionals will have to work Saturdays and Sundays for the first time

The plans will no doubt anger doctors who will be keen to protect their current working hours.

Medical professionals will not receive any extra money for working weekends but will be given days off in the week instead.

The proposals will be fully outlined in the NHS Commissioning Board’s first planning guidance which will detail how health funds will be spent ahead and which will be released on Tuesday.

The British Medical Association (BMA) last night rejected the idea that that the medical profession could learn from private firms such as Tesco but it was ‘open’ to discussing seven day working.

How to charge for medical treatment.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Try this. Instead of all doctors having Saturdays and Sundays off, some doctors could have Mondays and Tuesdays off, then the overlap from different shift doctors should cover everything.

Day shift should focus on geriatrics and paediatrics (adult people working will put off visits to nighttime and will not visit during the day) while evening shift will be more popular for the adults. Midnight shift should have the least staff (most people sleeping), though everyone not of the above groups might visit, emergency services from racers gettti8ng into accidents and drunks getting into fights will make up the most of this shift. The fact that the one can get medical aid 24/7 makes for a safer feeling in any district overall.

ARTICLE 17

Is this the end of paper banknotes? Plastic version could be in your pocket in just three years – by Rebecca Evans – PUBLISHED: 00:04 GMT, 17 December 2012 | UPDATED: 00:04 GMT, 17 December 2012

Overhaul could see environmentally-friendly notes introduced from 2015
Have proved a success since being introduced in Australia in 1988
Plastic lasts much longer and are more hygienic but more expensive to make

Plastic banknotes are set to be introduced in Britain, replacing the paper money used for more than 300 years.

The radical overhaul could see the more durable, waterproof and harder-to-counterfeit polymer sterling notes in circulation within three years.

The Bank of England has put out a £1billion tender from 2015 for the printing of notes at its press in Debden, Essex.

Paper money could be replaced within three years after being used for more than three centuries

Part of this process demands that bidders are able to cope with the change from paper to plastic from the start of the contract.

Since 2003, the contract has been held by De La Rue – one of only two makers of polymer notes.

The company, which prints more than 150 currencies, has just produced new plastic banknotes for the Pacific island of Fiji.

Plastic notes were first introduced in Australia in 1988 as a measure against counterfeiting.

They have proved a success, and are apparently particularly popular with surfers who are able to keep money in their pockets without it disintegrating.

Other countries to issue polymer notes include New Zealand, Romania, Papua New Guinea, Mexico and Vietnam. In Northern Ireland, a plastic fiver was introduced in 1999 to mark the Millennium.

The Bank’s chief cashier Chris Salmon has already said plastic notes were being looked at as a possibility to replace paper money

Plastic notes last much longer than cotton fibre-based paper ones. For instance, an Australian $5 bill lasts about 40 months, against six months for a £5 note.

Polymer notes are more hygienic as they absorb fewer bacteria, harder to tear or crease – making them easier for vending machines – and waterproof, even able to survive being put in the washing machine.

A key feature is a clear window, which normally contains an ‘optical variable device’ that splits light into its component colours and is extremely hard to counterfeit. Plastic notes can also contain holograms.

They are also more environmentally friendly as fewer need to be produced and they can be recycled.

However, they are considerably more expensive to produce and would create an initial cost as ATMs and vending machines would have to be adapted to accept them.

The Bank’s chief cashier Chris Salmon had already revealed it was investigating the possibility of polymer or plastic-coated banknotes.
‘Today I’m going to make some £20 notes out of this old plastic washing-up bottle’

It is understood that the Bank will initially introduce lower denominations, such as the fiver, which are in wider use so become dog-eared more rapidly.

De La Rue’s chief executive Tim Cobbold said: ‘If you think about the life of a banknote, it takes quite a hammering.

‘It’s being folded, it’s being crunched, it’s in and out of wallets and it could be in the wet or dry.’

But financial expert David Buik, of the retail and trading services firm Cantor Index, believes the conversion to plastic notes should not be rushed.

‘I think it’s something that needs to be more carefully thought out,’ he said.

‘Money laundering is a huge problem and if the security measures introduced could be used to make notes more traceable, then that would be very good.

‘But it needs to be applied internationally, the major countries all need to be singing from the same hymn sheet.’

A spokesman for the Bank of England said: ‘No definite decisions have been taken yet but the Bank is considering all options.’

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Paper 300 years? Try precious metals 3000 or more years. Barter possible more than 30,000 . . . Parallel currencies in PM used in the manner of barter should put an end to the plastic note b.s.. Make your own localised currency citizens! Stop ceding economic control to central national banks.

China has embraced the challenge of putting up the world’s tallest building in only 90 days. The 838-meter skyscraper, dubbed Sky City, is set to house 17,400 people as well as a hotel, a hospital, several schools, offices and apartments.

­Construction workers from the Broad Sustainable Building company are expected to build at a rate if five stories a day to meet the deadline. To speed the process up, they will reportedly use the ‘prefabrication’ technique in which blocks of the building are constructed offsite and then pieced together.

The skyscraper, located in Hunan Province’s capital Changsha, will feature over 100 high-speed elevators, and is expected to be able to withstand a magnitude 9.0 earthquake.

When completed, the building will be 10 meters taller than the Dubai landmark Burj Khalifa, the world’s current tallest building, which took five years to build. China’s Sky City is set to cost half as much as the Burj – about $630 million.

China-based Broad Sustainable Building will employ several thousand workers for the ambitious project. The company has already built 16 structures in China, including a 30-story hotel constructed in 15 days.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Half the price at 20 times the speed. What will the building stats look like in another 20 years? Double the height, quarter the price at 200 times the speed? Thats 9 days at $315 million at double height . . . one can imagine high tech light weight reconstituted materials straight from landfills being used by then . . . so if a superhighway connected EVERY single states’ tower . . .

The floorage and ‘balcony-age’ of the pic doesn’t look very impressive though. Perhaps higher ceilings and more balcony space would be more city like, vehicular access via connected ramps right up to the top would then truly mean ‘City’. Without vehicle (or at least some kind of golf cart sized internal vehicle) access, or massive multistorey high ‘green lungs’, and massive multistorey high sky-lobbies the ‘City’ name for any building is but a misnomer.

ARTICLE 2

Royal Mail to step up action against dog owners after more than 3,000 attacks on postal workers in a year – by Daily Mail Reporter – PUBLISHED: 01:54 GMT, 24 November 2012 | UPDATED: 02:00 GMT, 24 November 2012

The Royal Mail pledged today to take more action against owners of dogs that attack postal workers after a new report called for tougher legislation.

The postal group said it will actively pursue legal action against the owners of dangerous dogs and take a more ‘robust’ approach to suspending deliveries to addresses where attacks take place.

The moves follow publication of an independent inquiry into dog attacks on postal staff, which the Royal Mail said numbered more than 3,000 in the year to April.
Sort it out: Royal Mail are pressing for action after thousands of attacks on its workers by dogs

Sort it out: Royal Mail are pressing for action after thousands of attacks on its workers by dogs

Former High Court judge Sir Gordon Langley recommended that new legislation should be introduced to provide tougher legal sanctions against owners of dangerous dogs.

The report pointed out that action cannot be taken if an attack takes place on private property, limiting legal protection available to postmen and women.

Guilty of cruelty but not even fined: Circus owner who let Anne the elephant be chained and beaten walks free

The Communication Workers Union (CWU), which has criticised the Government for failing to take action on dangerous dogs, said today’s report should be the catalyst needed to bring action.

The union said the number of postal workers suffering dog attacks was nearer 5,000 a year.

Sir Gordon’s report called on the Government to repeal current legislation and provide a new statute so that legal action can be taken against dog owners, wherever an attack takes place.

New laws have already been introduced in Scotland and Northern Ireland, with legislation planned in Wales.

Making a stance: The Royal Mail has said it will take legal action against owners of dogs who have attacked postmen and women

Sir Gordon said: ‘It is a matter of real concern to learn of the extent and frequency of attacks on postal workers and to find that for a considerable time there has been almost general agreement not only on the inadequacies of the present law in England and Wales but also on the nature of the reforms required to address it, but to date it remains unchanged.’

Royal Mail chairman Donald Brydon said: ‘Dog attacks cause injuries and terrible trauma to our staff. Nobody should have to endure this and our staff are at an increased risk of such attacks simply because of the job they do.

‘We welcome the findings in Sir Gordon Langley’s independent report, especially his call for an urgent reform of the laws in England and Wales. We have also taken on board his comments that Royal Mail should take a more robust approach with customers whose dogs attack postmen and women. We will adjust our policies immediately.’

CWU general secretary Billy Hayes said: ‘Sir Gordon’s recommendations take on board our own long-standing campaign objectives of securing new UK-wide laws which apply on private property, moving away from breed-specific legislation, introducing microchipping and getting serious when it comes to prosecution and punishment.

‘England will soon be the only part of the UK without updated dogs laws as Scotland and Northern Ireland have already introduced new improved legislation and Wales is legislating in the current session.

‘This Government has procrastinated and steadfastly refused to act on the issue of dangerous dogs while people continue to suffer serious injuries and lose their lives in dog attacks.’

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Suspension of services for the period required for the same postman to heal up, and compensation of paid leave if needed and hospital bills, perhaps temporary replacement staff or payment of double shifts for those taking over from the injured postman, should make the owners of vicious dogs cautious to keep their home gate shut at mail delivery time for both their own pocket’s, and the postman’s health. If your dog bites the postman, you pay for leave, replacement staff, or medical expenses. At the same time, the post service needs to have a sort of schedule as well so that owners who do let their animals out can take the effort to keep the animals in at the right times.

ARTICLE 3

Thailand police fire tear gas at anti-government protests

Saturday, November 24, 2012 – 09:23 AM

Anti-government protesters calling for Thailand’s Prime Minister to step down launched a rally in Bangkok today that authorities feared would grow into the biggest demonstration the country has seen since she took office last year.

The rally, which was expected to draw tens of thousands of protesters, was mostly peaceful in its early stages.

Police, however, fired tear gas to disperse between 50 to 100 people who tried to break through a line of concrete barricades erected on a street near the protest site.

Earlier in the week, premier Yingluck Shinawatra ordered nearly 17,000 police to deploy and invoked a special security law, citing concerns that the rally could turn violent.

She also accused demonstrators of seeking to overthrow her elected government.

The demonstration underscores the still-simmering political divisions that have split the country since the army toppled Ms Yingluck’s brother Thaksin Shinawatra in a 2006 military coup.

Led by retired army general Boonlert Kaewprasit, the group accuses Ms Yingluck’s administration of corruption, ignoring insults to the revered monarchy and being a puppet of her brother.

Addressing several thousand protesters on the rally’s central stage, Mr Boonlert vowed the demonstration would remain peaceful. But he said: “I promise that Pitak Siam will succeed in driving this government out.”

He then led the crowd in a chant: “Yingluck, get out! Yingluck, get out!”

The rally was being held at Bangkok’s Royal Plaza, a public space near parliament that has been used by protesters in the past.

Police allowed protesters into the site, and two roads leading to it were open. But in an effort to control access, security forces erected concrete barriers on another road leading to Royal Plaza.

When between 50 to 100 protesters tried to break through one of the barriers, a contingent of around 500 police fired tear gas and beat them back with batons.

While Pitak Siam is a newcomer to Thailand’s protest scene, it is linked to the well-known Yellow Shirt protesters, whose rallies led to Mr Thaksin’s overthrow.

The same movement later toppled a Thaksin-allied elected government after occupying and shutting down Bangkok’s two airports for a week in 2008.

Mr Thaksin remains a divisive figure in Thai politics. The Yellow Shirts and their allies say he is corrupt and accuse him of seeking to undermine the popular constitutional monarch – claims he denies.

Ms Yingluck was taking Saturday’s rally seriously – her cabinet invoked the Internal Security Act on Thursday in three Bangkok districts around the protest site and she later addressed the nation to explain the move, citing concerns of violence.

The security act allows authorities to close roads, impose curfews and ban use of electronic devices in designated areas. Measures began taking effect on Thursday night, with police closing roads around Ms Yingluck’s office, the Government House, and placing extra security at the homes of senior officials, including the prime minister.

In a nationally-televised address Ms Yingluck said protest leaders “seek to overthrow an elected government and democratic rule … and there is evidence that violence may be used to achieve those ends”.

National police chief spokesman Maj Gen Piya Uthayo said yesterday that 16,800 police officers had been called in from around the country to provide security for the rally.

Mr Boonlert, the protest group’s leader, is best known for his role as president of the Thailand Boxing Association. His name is unfamiliar in the anti-Thaksin protest movement, but his message appears to have resonated with Yellow Shirt supporters who have laid low in recent years after Ms Yingluck’s party won the last elections.

Analysts said they did not view the protest as an immediate threat to Ms Yingluck’s government, but were watching it closely.

“Any time you have tens of thousands of people converging, assembling in a central Bangkok location, it becomes a government stability concern,” said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political scientist at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University.

But he added: “I think it’s a serious concern more than a serious threat.”

Thailand has been gripped by bouts of political instability since 2006, with Thaksin’s supporters and opponents taking turns to spar over who has the right to rule the country.

The most violent episode came in 2010, when Thaksin’s Red Shirt supporters led a two-month occupation of central Bangkok to demand the resignation of an anti-Thaksin government.

The protests sparked a military crackdown that left at least 91 people dead and more than 1,700 injured.

Mr Thaksin has lived in self-imposed exile since 2008, when he jumped bail to evade a corruption conviction and two-year jail term. He retains huge popularity among the rural poor, who want to see him pardoned and returned to power.

But he is reviled by the urban elite and educated middle class, who see him as authoritarian and a threat to the monarchy.

Buoyed by Mr Thaksin’s (ill gotten) political cash machine, Ms Yingluck was elected by a landslide victory in August 2011.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Don’t bother rallying. GET THE MPs to remove Yingluck in a simple vote. Ralliers, don’t blocakade the Capital, instead, blockade the homes of MPs who wont get rid of Yingluck instead.

ARTICLE 4

Researchers Produce Self-Shaping Nanomachines That Can Be Mass Produced

Once again, the natural world has inspired the scientific world.

This time, it was the dandelion that inspired researchers to create a self-shaping nanomachine that can be reproduced through an automated process.

The ability to mass produce these microscopic machines opens the door to a multitude of applications from medicine to military. However, like with any great discovery there is a dark side.

Many people believe that if the nanomachine is successfully created and mass produced, it will be the cause of Armageddon in a scenario that theorists call the Gray Goo.

Researchers from the University of Washington in the U.S. and Aalto University in Finland discovered that these nanomachines could in fact be massed produced with a trick they observed in nature with a dandelion.

The researchers realized that building most machines, including nanomachines, begins with the shaping of metals. Exploring this fundamental of fabrication and hoping to find some sort of cue in nature, the researchers discovered that dandelion stems (when cut into small strips) were placed in water, they would bend and curl.

The different shapes were dependent on the amount of water absorption on the two sides of the strips. The key was to replicate these formations with metal, and use some sort of catalyst that would trigger the bending.

Self-Shaping Metals

The team discovered that the same results occurred with the nanoscale metal materials when an ion beamed was used. Like the dandelion strips, the microscopic metals began to bend and curl.

Then, the researchers were able to use the ion beam to create specific and even complex shapes.

They were able to start with a three-dimension hexagon shape. Then, they applied the ion beam to the metal shape, which caused it to open, or bloom like a flower. The researchers were even able to construct microscopic cubes using the same technique.

However, the structures also possessed characteristics that the researchers were not expecting.

According to the team, the resulting nanostructures were also quite resilient. It appears that the structures were able to withstand harsh conditions, such as extreme heat and electrostatic discharge. Furthermore, the nanostructures were also able to capture and hold particles that are roughly a micrometer in size.

Even though the research is promising, it is still in the preliminary stages. The team asserted:

“However, we believe that we are just scratching the tip of the iceberg: a comprehensive theory of ion-assisted self-assembly processes is yet to be reached.” (1)

Will a Nano-Future Trigger Armageddon?

As promising as the possible applications are, there are some who believe any self-assembly process on a nanoscale would be the beginning of the end: a scenario commonly referred to as the Gray Goo.

The phrase was coined in 1986 by Eric Drexler, an American engineer and nanotech pioneer. The term refers to result of nanorobots self-assembling to the point where they appear to be this massive gray ooze that consumes everything in its path.

The “consumption” involved in this scenario is the process of the nanorobots turning organic material into more nanorobots. Even though this scenario makes for fantastic science fiction reading, it does not really make for great science.

There are several aspects of the gray goo scenario that make it implausible. One theory is that any self-assembly /self-replicating process would have checks and balances in place to prevent an out-of-control replicating process.

Furthermore, the system proposed here, like most, is more akin to a factory assembly line than reproducing bacteria, which is how the gray goo is often described.

Think of it as an automobile factory. Much of it is automated, but it does not have the means nor the resources to produce at an out-of-control pace that would overtake the world.

Finally, the gray goo would need massive computing power and complex chemistry to even survive the environment. (3) Most scientists agree that the gray goo scenario is an outdated premise that is better left to science fiction.

With that in mind, the discovery made by the researchers from the University of Washington in the U.S. and Aalto University in Finland is very much a breakthrough that should be celebrated, not feared.

Dennis Dufrene is the resident historian and technical writer. With this background, Dennis brings insight and accuracy to the stories published here at Top Secret Writers. Dennis has 379 post(s) at Top Secret Writers

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i) There are several aspects of the gray goo scenario that make it implausible. One theory is that any self-assembly /self-replicating process would have checks and balances in place to prevent an out-of-control replicating process.

There are none, if the hacker of the AI controlling the nanobots has no scruples. We all know that code can be changed depending on the user/hacker.

ii) Furthermore, the system proposed here, like most, is more akin to a factory assembly line than reproducing bacteria, which is how the gray goo is often described. . . .

Wheres the logic in that statement? Eh? Wot? That makes no sense at all. The article writer needs to make sense or study grammar. SO WHAT if ‘gray goo’ is described as ‘factory assembly line’? Whats to stop the programmer or hacker make the nanobot swarm behave like grey goo regardless of how the nanobot is created? See below article for how the AI controlling the nanobots are more important in determining gray goo behaviour than how the individual nanobot is created. Nanobots are fatal weapons if used on Nuclear Plants. So unless a nanomite-wall is already possible, all likelihood that containment areas are being perforated by nanomites chewing their way into the Nuclear facility, so keep building more Nuclear plants and enjoy your terrorist nanotech irradiators, any plant could go boom or crack up and collapse from within from ‘nanomite undermining’ of super structures, and not a terrorist would have to even be near the piece of sh1t irradiative eco-disaster in the waiting . . . Ostrich burying head in sand alert anyone?

ARTICLE 5

Freeway Drones for a Futuristic Highway Patrol – November 24, 2012 6:05 pm – by PHIL PATTON / The New York Times

IT’S a future far from Ponch and Jon, the Los Angeles-based motorcycle officers of “CHiPs,” a TV series that rose to popularity in the 1970s. In this take on the California Highway Patrol of 2025, patrol cars and motorcycles would be replaced by computerized drones; chips take over CHiPs.

Here, the highway patrol vehicles of the future will be mostly self-driving, if you accept the solutions offered by the entries in this year’s Design Challenge, an annual competition organized in conjunction with the Los Angeles auto show. For the last nine years, the Design Challenge has invited automakers’ advanced design studios to dream up proposals for sci-fi automotive futures tied to specific themes, including cars that weighed less than 1,000 pounds or that were destined for Hollywood roles. This year’s competition asked designers to envision the highway patrol car of 2025.

By coincidence or destiny, designers at several companies came up with concepts for robotic, autonomously driven vehicles on ground, water and air. These future police cruisers — usually presented as story boards rather than actual vehicles — recall today’s Predator and Global Hawk drones, stars of the anti-insurgency efforts. They may give new meaning to those signs that read “Speed limit enforced by aircraft.”

In the future, as the organizers outlined it, “the vehicle should empower highway patrol officers to meet new demands and effectively both ‘protect and serve’ the public while considering not just enforcement needs but emission concerns, population growth and transportation infrastructure.” The world of 2025, the participants seem to agree, will be a place where traffic has grown exponentially, infrastructure has deteriorated, environmental constraints have increased — and highway patrol budgets have been reduced.

As envisioned by Honda R&D Americas’ advanced design studio in Pasadena, Calif., the future Honda CHP Drone Squad includes four-wheel Auto-Drones, like cars, and two-wheel Moto-Drones, like motorcycles. The proposal offers a future where the Auto-Drone functions as something of a command vehicle — manned or unmanned — that deploys Moto-Drones, even while on the move. The Moto-Drones could be rigged for a variety of different response or rescue tasks. While such vehicles might be decades from reality, the flexibility of this strategy could offer companies that built both types of vehicles an advantage in securing government contracts.

At the BMW DesignworksUSA studio in Newbury Park, Calif., designers dreamed up the E-Patrol (Human-Drone Pursuit Vehicle). In this arrangement, the officer and drone would work in harmony, like today’s officers and their K-9 partners. The BMW drone team would be able to deploy a flying drone, which resembles a high-tech Jet Ski cruise missile, or one of a pair of unicyclelike robotic vehicles to chase lawbreakers. And if the suspect doesn’t pull over? In the E-Patrol vision, the BMW designers say, their drone would disable the vehicle with an electromagnetic impulse.

The Subaru Highway Automated Response Concept vehicles, developed by Subaru Research and Development in Japan and designed specifically for Hawaii, are powered by renewable energy — and they have aquatic capability. “The cutting-edge SHARC patrol vehicles will provide an innovative, affordable and environmentally conscious solution for 24-hour highway monitoring,” the designers say.

The Volt Squad, dreamed up at General Motors’ Advanced Design Center in North Hollywood, Calif., is a set of future patrol vehicles that would take advantage of the propulsion system engineered for the Chevrolet Volt. The squad is composed of three different types of vehicles that still contain human officers. Each type is specially designed to observe, pursue or engage — the last term left menacingly undefined.

Judges for the Design Challenge include Tom Matano, director of the industrial design program at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco; Imre Molnar from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit; and Stewart Reed, chairman of the transportation design department at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. The winner will be announced on Thursday at an event in conjunction with the auto show.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
First Published November 24, 2012 6:01 pm

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1) And if the suspect doesn’t pull over? In the E-Patrol vision, the BMW designers say, their drone would disable the vehicle with an electromagnetic impulse.

Won’t work if your vehicle is wholly non-electronic. I can see a whole new generation of non-electronic manual gear based modders, who will keep any electronics away from the engine or gearbox, signal lights.

2) Each type is specially designed to observe, pursue or engage — the last term left menacingly undefined.

Engage? Unless walking robots are involved, all a criminal needs to do is get off the road, climb a tree (or a staircase), or hijack a car to confound the entire system. See below link for a better or auxillary robot that could be attached to the ‘car-bot’.

These kinds of weapons would make it more likely that a state would go to war…shifting the burden of conflict away from the military, those who are trained to fight, to civilians who will bear the brunt of any mistakes that these killer robots make. And they will inevitably make mistakes,” Stephen Goose, the arms division director of Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch has called for an international ban on ‘killer robots’ – autonomous machines that independently decide their targets, Press TV reports.

“They’re weapons where there is no human intervention. That is, the armed robot itself makes the decision about what its target should be and when it should pull the trigger,” Stephen Goose, the arms division director of Human Rights Watch told Press TV.

“Killer robots are the shorthand name for fully autonomous weapons. These are something we think of as being beyond drones,” Goose said, adding that “the farther down the road this gets, the harder it’s going to be to stop it.”

The expert said an international ban, as well as prohibitions in each country, must be started before these robots become the future of war.

“The more money that’s poured into it, the more time passes, the more they’re going to get integrated into future war plans and into the doctrine of various militaries. We think the only way to approach this is to nip it in the bud and to have a prohibition now,” Goose added.

Goose criticized the role of the United States military in the “secretive and classified” development of these deadly weapons.

The US Pentagon has begun a contest, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Robotics Challenge, to advance its efforts to develop robotic soldiers to fight the wars of the future, focusing on testing the robots’ abilities to work in difficult situations designed for humans that “simulate conditions in a dangerous, degraded, human-engineered environment.”

He added that these weapons would violate the proportionality test, which is required under international humanitarian law to weigh the advantages of an attack against possible civilian casualties.

“These kinds of weapons would make it more likely that a state would go to war…shifting the burden of conflict away from the military, those who are trained to fight, to civilians who will bear the brunt of any mistakes that these killer robots make. And they will inevitably make mistakes,” Goose concluded.

Dotcom says he could sue US government for $2.6 billion – by Kim Schmitz – Monday 26 November 2012, 12:45

MegaUpload founder Kim ‘Dotcom’ Schmitz has threatened to sue the US government after the revelation that some of the pirated content listed as being on his former company’s servers by prosecutors had been left there at the request of the American Department Of Justice.

MegaUpload, of course, was shut down at the start of the year by the US authorities amidst allegations of money laundering, racketeering and copyright infringement against the company and its management, four key members of which, including Dotcom, are living in New Zealand and are currently fighting efforts to extradite them to America.

Amongst other things, prosecutors claim that MegaUpload operated a deliberately shoddy takedown system for removing copyright material once made aware of it, whilst also encouraging users to upload unlicensed music, movies and TV shows, because doing so ensured the wider Mega platform had a constant supply of popular content, driving traffic, ad sales and subscriptions, even though rights owners were never paid a penny.

But Dotcom and the Mega team insist their company operated within US copyright law, removing unlicensed content in line with America’s Digital Millennium Copyright Act. And even more than that, it was revealed earlier this month that the company itself occasionally assisted the DoJ when it was investigating other companies accused of piracy which stored and distributed illegal content via the Mega platform.

One such piracy operation was NinjaVideo, and, now say Mega’s legal team, some of the content prosecutors have listed in their case against Dotcom actually belonged to that venture, and was not deleted by MegaUpload because of a request from the DoJ, which wanted the unlicensed files to remain accessible while it continued to investigate Ninja’s activities.

According to reports, prosecutors say that’s no excuse, because some of the content stored in NinjaVideo’s locker on MegaUpload was also available elsewhere on the Mega platform, and, now knowing for certain that that content was unlicensed because of the Ninja investigation, the digital firm should have removed the additional copies. But Mega’s lawyers say that their clients were cautious of doing platform-wide deletions of that content, in case it impacted on the NinjaVideo content that formed part of the DoJ’s case.

Quite how relevant the NinjaVideo content is to the wider MegaUpload case isn’t clear, but that didn’t stop Dotcom telling his Twitter followers that the DoJ was “a gang of rogue US attorneys out of control”, before revealing that he’d been advised: “We can sue the US govt or MPAA members for $2.6 billion in damages for the destruction of our businesses”.

Although access to MegaUpload’s fortune has been frozen since the US government shut down the Mega business in January, Dotcom says he soon hopes to have financial backing to allow a lawsuit against America.

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Focus on democracy and at very most demand formal apologies (for what could be domestic terrorism), and equitable damages probably in the tune of a few 10Ks for inconvenience and living expenses or the few months lost etc.., instead. The US govermnent could hide behind the department concerned, and a single department cannot be liable to 2.6 billion in compensation. Besides, given the state of the economy, no way will payouts of this level be possible. 2.6 billion cannot even be given to Middle Eastern military contractors on the US’s side, so for certain Kim cannot expect this sort of compensation as well. Be reasonable Kim, public apologies by the department and sums reasonable that the department gets in yearly allotments could be demanded (I doubt they get 2.6 billion), but the government would be untouchable. I’m on your side Kim, but if I were the US government and had to pay 2.6 billion when US finances were this bad, might as well call in an assassin and avoid court expenditures and payout. This is not an apartheid case, but more like an abuse of power case . . . strike a spiritual blow for freedom and demand AMENDMENTS TO LAW instead of monies that don’t change anything, money can be taken away or the owner of the money killed, LAWS cannot be taken away, and if the people are educated, laws can prevent extreme powers by the state. Forget about the payout thing. Won’t work.

ARTICLE 8

Megaupload Boss Kim Dotcom Offers To Surrender, Face Trial In U.S. Without Extradition

Megaupload founder and accused piracy king Kim Dotcom has offered to forgo his delayed extradition trial and come to the U.S. to fight the charges against him and three others.

Dotcom said on Twitter that the Department of Justice must meet certain ground rules first, however.

“Hey DOJ, we will go to the US. No need for extradition,” he wrote on the micro-blogging site. “We want bail, funds unfrozen for lawyers & living expenses.”

The offer comes a day after a New Zealand court delayed an extradition hearing until March due to ongoing legal hearings regarding the seizure of evidence from an illegal raid on Dotcom’s mansion.

“We are not expecting to hear back regarding the offer and I remain committed to fighting extradition in New Zealand,” he added.

Despite the charges against him, Dotcom has vowed that Megaupload will return.

BGR

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Thaksin could learn from Schmidt. Thaksin should go back to Thailand and face the court with whatever foreign monitors in tow instead of using Yingluck as a proxy to disrupt Thailand.

ARTICLE 9

THE German government is about to reintroduce a ban on bestiality, after pressure from animal welfare groups.

Newspaper die Tageszeitung reports that the governing coalition are soon to amend the country’s Animal Welfare Act to make sex with animals punishable with a fine of up to 25,000 euros ($31,000).

Bestiality was legalised in Germany in 1969, the same year that gay sex was also removed from the criminal code. After that, sex with animals was only punishable if the animal was severely injured.

However animal welfare groups have pushed for the ban to be reinstated, in an advertising campaign that used dramatic examples of “animal rape”.

Agriculture minister Ilse Aigner has agreed to change the law to make it illegal for people to “use (animals) for their own sexual activities or sexual acts of third parties” – which also bans the ‘pimping’ of animals to others.

However the move has aroused the ire of zoophile group ZETA.

Lobbyist Michael Kiok, who lives with his dog Cassie, told the newspaper there were more than 100,000 zoophiles in Germany.

“Mere morals have no place in law,” he said.

Mr Kiok said he was worried that if the law took effect the authorities would try to take away his dog.

The amendment to the law will be debated in the German parliament in mid-December.

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Good work to a point. 3rd party definitely applicable, but for personal use, there should be a panel who will judge if the animal is ‘happy’ or ‘suffering’, which is quite easy to do given the advanced brain scanning technologies they have today. While most of us wouldn’t indulge, always remember Voltaire and expand on the logic! Not just freedom of speech, but FREEDOM TO LIVE AS ONE WILL . . .

(Reuters) – Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak, a leading strategist in confronting Iran over its nuclear programme, said in a surprise announcement on Monday that he would quit political life after the January 22 national election.

Some commentators speculated Barak was trying to duck a trouncing for his tiny centrist party in the ballot, after which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who heads the front-running, right-wing Likud, might return him to defence and military headquarters as a professional appointee.

But others said 70-year-old Barak, who has served as prime minister and armed forces chief, may have had enough of campaigning and wanted to focus on resolving the Iranian issue before leaving his post.

“I stand before you to share my decision to resign from political life and not to run in the coming election for the Knesset,” Barak told a news conference, adding he would stay on as defence chief until a new administration is sworn in.

Speaking five days after an eight-day Gaza offensive ended in a ceasefire with the enclave’s Hamas Islamist rulers, Barak said he wanted to spend more time with his family and that politics “has never been a passion of mine”.

Should Barak’s resignation prove permanent his successor would likely come from Likud ranks. He might even be replaced by the current foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, the Likud’s more hawkish coalition partner.

Few doubt that this would affect the tenor of a ministry that oversees everything from armed conflict to administration of occupied Palestinian territory to liaising with regional power-broker Egypt.

Danny Yatom, an old army comrade of Barak’s who went on to serve as head of the Mossad spy agency, described him as a “moderate anchor” for a Netanyahu government whose sabre-rattling on Iran has often raised the hackles of the United States and other Western countries.

Yet Yatom, who served under Netanyahu during his first term as prime minister in the late 1990s, said the Israeli leader appeared to be patching up his testy ties with Barak Obama since the U.S. president’s re-election three weeks ago.

“I would think and hope that this relationship will provide the main guide for government policies” on Iran, Yatom said.

With Netanyahu, Barak has been at the forefront of Israel’s campaign for stronger international sanctions against Iran to halt what Israeli and Western leaders fear is a drive to produce nuclear weapons, allegations Tehran denies.

Raising speculation Israel could defy its main ally, the United States, and attack Iran on its own, Barak has cautioned that Tehran was nearing a “zone of immunity” that would put deeply buried and fortified nuclear facilities out of reach of Israel’s military capabilities.

But last month, he told Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspaper that an immediate crisis was avoided when Iran chose to use more than a third of its medium-enriched uranium for civilian purposes earlier this year.

The decision, he said “allows contemplating delaying the moment of truth by eight to ten months”.

“LEADING ADVOCATE”

Dennis Ross, a veteran U.S. envoy and former Obama adviser, called Barak “perhaps the leading advocate for military action against Iran”.

“He has had very close relationships with his U.S. counterparts, and while that has had an influence on his readiness to act militarily against Iran, he has been prepared for a unilateral Israeli strike if he thought that would be necessary,” Ross told Reuters.

“Whoever would replace him in the next government will be hard-pressed to have the same stature or influence both with the prime minister (Netanyahu) and with us,” he said.

Barak is both Israel’s most-decorated soldier and embraced abroad since his breakneck peacemaking campaigns during a brief tenure as prime minister in the mid-1990s. He has lent public credibility to Netanyahu’s veiled threats to attack Iran should diplomacy fail to curb its disputed uranium enrichment.

But after Netanyahu, in a September speech at the United Nations, said Israel’s “red line” on Iran now fell in mid-2013, Barak signalled that any war with the Persian power could wait.

Israeli officials say contingency plans for Iran have been in place for months, awaiting a green light from the government.

Such open discourse over a showdown that would stretch Israel’s military capabilities to the limit suggested a possible bluff – or at least, that Netanyahu and Barak, both former commandos schooled in subterfuge, hoped to achieve some kind of tactical surprise when the time came to pull the trigger.

Some might see a ruse in the show of retiring Barak who, on the eve of Israel’s shock 2008-2009 war in Gaza, made an unannounced live appearance on a top-rated Israeli television satire, seemingly to help drop the Palestinians’ guard.

With two months remaining until the election and several more weeks for the new coalition government to be formed, Barak said on Monday he would continue to deal with “many challenges” on the national security front, leaving open the possibility he would be part of fresh military actions in the interim.

Vice Prime Minister Moshe Yaalon of the Likud appears to be a front-runner to replace Barak after the election, should Netanyahu, as expected, form the next government.

He has sword-rattled about Iran more volubly than Barak and, while the defence minister spoke in favour of U.S. President Barack Obama before his reelection this month, Yaalon had accused the Democratic administration of being soft on Tehran.

Other candidates to succeed Barak, according to defence officials, include Avi Dichter, a former security chief who is now the Likud minister in charge of preparing the homefront for war, and Lieberman, currently foreign minister.

As the only centrist member of the governing coalition of right-wing and pro-settler parties, Barak has frequently visited Washington for talks with top U.S. officials and had criticised Netanyahu for airing differences with the United States.

In a statement, Netanyahu said he “respects Defence Minister Ehud Barak’s decision and thanks him for his cooperation in the government and highly appreciates his long-standing contribution to the security of the state”.

The Hamas movement ruling Gaza saw Barak’s decision to quit as proof that this month’s Israeli assault on the enclave was a disaster.

“This is evidence of the political and military failure that the government of Netanyahu and his defence minister suffered,” said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum.

Israel has called its offensive a success, saying it destroyed most of Hamas’s long-range rocket arsenal and killed the Islamist group’s top militants.

If Israel cannot even annexe Gaza (though also return other lands not theirs) to the effect of having what effectively is a second Palestine, few would believe that Israel is going to fight Iran which has not been attacking Israel outright. Gaza conversely keeps attacking Israel with rockets but still exists. If Iran attacks Israel with rockets, Israel would go full scale against Iran. What gives? Proof of capability should be by annexing Gaza with as little casualties as possible. THEN Iran would take notice and take Israel seriously. If Israel cannot handle 100s of times smaller Gaza after decades, Israel sure as hell cannot handle 10s of times larger Iran.

JERUSALEM-ON-THE-LINE – November 27, 2012

“Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God. But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill.” Ps 3:1-4

ISRAEL SUCCESSFULLY TESTS DAVID’S SLING’S INTERCEPTOR: Israel has successfully conducted its first test of the David’s Sling’s Stunner interceptor missile, the Defense Ministry revealed Sunday night. David’s Sling is a missile defense system currently under development in Israel and the US. The system would defend against Iranian missiles such as the M600, the Zelzal, Fajr and Fateh 110 deployed heavily in Hizbullah hands in Lebanon as well as other missiles with a range between 43 miles and 186 miles. It is to become operational in 2014. (J.Post) “You are my hiding place and my shield: I hope in your word.” Ps 119:114

SATELLITES SHOW IRAN MOVING QUICKLY TO REARM HAMAS: Israeli intelligence satellites have spied the loading of rockets and other materiel believed to be destined for the Gaza Strip. According to the Sunday Times report, Iran began preparing the weapons shipment around the same time Israel and Hamas negotiated cease-fire understandings late last week. The shipment is said to include Iranian-made Fajr-5 medium-range rockets, the same model that was fired into the Tel Aviv and Jerusalem areas during Operation Pillar of Defense. Last month, following an air attack on a weapons plant near Khartoum, the Defense Ministry’s director of policy and political-military affairs accused Sudan of acting as a transit point for weapons shipments to Gaza. Amos Gilad accused Khartoum of aiding and abetting terrorism, and said the Sudanese regime was “supported by Iran” and was used as a route to transfer weapons to Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip, via Egypt. Sudan accused Israel of attacking the military plant. The report also cited Israeli officials speculating that Iran could be moving longer-range ballistic missiles into Sudan, which could be aimed at Israel from the African country. Meanwhile, reports in Gaza said the Rafah smuggling tunnels, pummeled by the IAF over eight days, are already being rebuilt. (J.Post) “As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool returns to his folly.” Prov 26:11

AHMADINEJAD CONGRATULATES HAMAS ON ITS ‘VICTORY’: Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Saturday congratulated Gaza’s Hamas chief, Ismail Haniyeh, on a “great victory” over Israel. Haniyeh in turn thanked Iran for its military aid and support. Haniyeh’s office said Ahmadinejad called late on Friday to praise Gaza’s “victory after eight days of Israeli aggression,” referring to Israel’s Operation Pillar of Defense which targeted Hamas’ terror infrastructure in Gaza. “We stand beside the Palestinian people,” the Iranian president added. Parliament speaker Ali Larijani confirmed Iran had supplied military and financial aid to the Hamas terrorist group, which controls Gaza since taking power in a bloody coup in 2007. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards chief General Mohammad Ali Jafari added that Tehran had provided the technology for the Fajr 5 missiles used to target Tel Aviv. He said they were now being rapidly produced in Gaza. Iranian officials confirmed Iran will continue to support terrorist groups in Gaza and elsewhere that fight Israel. (INN) “He, that being often reproved hardens his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” Prov 29:1

IDF CHIEF: DON’T WORRY, QUIET WILL LAST: IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz assured Israelis on Sunday there would be no more rocket fire from Gaza – “or else.” Speaking to new recruits Gantz recapped the recent Pillar of Defense counter terror operation in Gaza. He also described the ceasefire agreement that followed, pointedly assuring them the measures carried out a few days earlier would have a lasting effect. “The quiet will continue, and if not, we will resume our operations on whatever level is necessary,” Gantz said bluntly. In addition, Gantz addressed the apprehensions Gaza’s ruling Hamas terrorist organization may re-arm itself with newer rockets. The concern comes on the heels of an official confirmation by Iran that it has been exporting its missile technology, as well as “financial and military assistance” to terrorist groups in the region. The issue of Hamas attempting to increase its power is important, he said, but it is far from new. The IDF will continue to work towards disrupting the terrorist organization’s attempt to re-arm, Gantz said. (INN/Israel Today) Government and military decisions to agree to a premature ceasefire with the ruling Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip has severely shaken the confidence of Israel’s people in its leaders. As one Jerusalem news commentator pointed out: “There’s every possibility Hamas will recover and even enhance its military strength, and with the premature ceasefire having given the group a major boost of confidence, many Israelis are wondering what was the point of the limited aerial campaign their nation waged.” Pray for a truly deep and enduring shift to take place in the nation – one that will turn Jewish hearts to the only source of wisdom, help and deliverance that can be trusted – that of the God of Israel. “Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses.” Ps 107:6

MORE RIOTING ON GAZA BORDER: There was more rioting on Sunday by Arabs near the fence separating Gaza and Israel. Voice of Israel radio reported that young Arabs approached the security fence near Khan Younis in the early evening, and that IDF soldiers fired warning shots in the air, as well as rubber-coated bullets toward whoever came too near to the fence. Three of the rioters were reportedly injured in the clashes. One Arab was killed on Friday in a similar incident along the Gaza fence. (Arutz-7) Pray these prowling Palestinian gangs along Israel’s security fence will be broken up and permanently dispersed, without achieving any of their destructive aims against the Jewish state.

HIZBULLAH SAYS IT COULD STRIKE ALL OF ISRAEL IN A FUTURE WAR: Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned Sunday that thousands of rockets would rain down on Tel Aviv and cities across the Jewish state if it attacked Lebanon. Speaking four days after the ceasefire which ended a week of conflict between Israel and the Islamist Hamas rulers of Gaza, Nasrallah said Hizbullah’s response to any attack would dwarf the rocket fire launched from Palestinian territories. The Lebanese-based terrorist group, Hizbullah, which fought Israel in a 34-day war six years ago, says it has been re-arming since then and has a far deadlier arsenal than Hamas. Nasrallah has said Hizbullah could kill tens of thousands of people and strike anywhere inside Israel if hostilities break out again. The movement has warned any Israeli attack against the nuclear facilities of its patron Iran, which has armed and funded the Lebanese terrorist group as well as Hamas, would inflame the Middle East (Reuters) “The multitude of your foreign foes shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the ruthless like passing chaff.” Isa 29:5

EGYPT’S POLITICAL FOES DIG IN THEIR HEELS: Supporters and opponents of Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi, on Sunday grew more entrenched in their potentially destabilizing battle over the Islamist leader’s move to assume near absolute powers, with neither side appearing willing to back down as the stock market plunged amid the fresh turmoil. Clashes between the two sides spilled onto the streets for a third day since the Islamist president issued edicts that make him immune to oversight of any kind, including that of the courts. A teenager was killed and dozens of people were wounded when a group of anti-Morsi protesters tried to storm the local offices of the political arm of the president’s Muslim Brotherhood in the Nile Delta city of Damanhoor. It was the first reported death from the street battles that erupted across much of the nation on Friday, the day after Morsi’s decrees were announced. The tensions also dealt a fresh blow to the economy, which has suffered due to the problems plaguing the Arab world’s most populous nation both prior to and since Mubarak’s ouster. (AP)

SYRIAN WAR SPILLS OVER INTO ISRAEL TWICE IN ONE DAY: The civil war in Syria spilled over into the Golan Heights in two separate incidents on Sunday. Residents in a religious Zionist town less than a kilometer from the border, reported on Sunday evening they heard explosions nearby, perhaps a result of a mortar shell that had been fired from Syria. The IDF said no evidence of a mortar had yet been identified. In a second incident on Sunday night, an IDF vehicle was hit by bullets fired from Syrian territory into Israel during the fighting between the sides. There were no injuries or damage. The IDF changed the rules of engagement along the northern border after the fighting in Syria spilled over into Israel more than once. The new orders instruct soldiers to respond if fire from Syria is dangerous and persistent. More than 40,000 people have been killed in 20 months of conflict between Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces and those fighting for his overthrow. About half the fatalities were civilians. (INN/J.Post)

ABBAS WARNS UN BID IS LAST CHANCE FOR PEACE: Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas claimed Saturday the entity’s renewed bid for UN membership is the “last chance” for Arab peace with Israel. The PA is hoping to create an independent, sovereign state in Judea, Samaria, Gaza and parts of Jerusalem that were restored to the Jewish capital in the 1967 Six-Day War. Previous efforts to evade the necessity of final status talks with Israel through application for membership in the UN have been stymied by Western nation, led by the United States. As head of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which represents the PA to the United Nations, Abbas plans to apply for status as a non-member state. Such a designation would create a de facto recognition of the PA as an independent, sovereign country. It would also successfully circumvent the final status negotiations with Israel mandated by the internationally-recognized 1993 Oslo Accords signed by both parties. The PA chairman said Saturday he would submit the PA request for the status on November 29. (Arutz-7) Pray against this deceptive, manipulative, and entirely illegal scheme on the part of the Palestinian Authority to achieve statehood, via the UN, while sidestepping negotiations with Israel.

Blessings from Jerusalem,

Barry Segal with the Editorial Staff

As international speakers and messengers of the Good News through music, Barry and Batya Segal are at the forefront of what God is doing in the present day nation of Israel. With strong ties in both the nations and Jerusalem, the Segals are weaving the deepest roots of our biblical heritage together with the fresh Spirit-filled worship of today to create their rich harmony of Scripture and song.

The Segals have a vast vision for God’s purposes in the nations and to the people of Israel. In fact, their longing to help rebuild Israel both spiritually and physically inspired them to pioneer the non-profit charity organization, Vision for Israel and The Joseph Storehouse. This arm of their ministry focuses on assisting the poor and needy, widows and orphans, and reaching out to the new Jewish immigrants coming into the land of Israel. Vision ‘s most challenging project to date is “The Joseph Storehouse®”, humanitarian aid center, located in the hills of Jerusalem. The Joseph Storehouse functions as a channel of blessing to all of Israel, Jewish and Arab, through the gathering and distribution of emergency medical supplies, food, clothing, and other basic life necessities. USA office contact info: Vision for Israel, PO Box 7743, Charlotte NC 28241, 866-351-0075. The Segal’s web site is

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. . . HIZBULLAH SAYS IT COULD STRIKE ALL OF ISRAEL IN A FUTURE WAR . . .

A man who inhumanely slaughtered a pig in his front yard before butchering it has been convicted of animal cruelty charges.

A shocked RSPCA officer found former boxer Ricky Clarkson, 48, cutting up the animal on a table in the front yard of his house in May this year after being called to the property by a neighbour.

He initially said he had killed the pig by hammering a nail through its head before later changing his story and telling a court he had slit its throat.
Butchered: After catching Ricky Clarkson butchering the pig in his front yard, RSPCA officers found parcels of pork chops in his freezer when they returned with a warrant to search his property

Butchered: After catching Ricky Clarkson butchering the pig in his front yard, RSPCA officers found parcels of pork chops in his freezer when they returned with a warrant to search his property

When RSPCA officers returned 10 days later with a search warrant, they found parcels of pig meat stored in a freezer, the remnants of a carcass in a recycling bin and several knives in a shed.

Mr Clarkson, of Bradmore Way, Coulsdon, south London, then denied having killed the pig with a nail and said he had ‘slit its throat, Halal-style’, Bromley Magistrates Court heard.

He said he was unaware of laws stipulating that pigs should be shot with a stun gun prior to being killed.

Andrew Wiles, prosecuting, said: ‘You are allowed to home-slaughter if you follow the regulations. You did not do that. You are coming up with your story today now you know what those regulations are.’

Cruelty: Officers found several knives in Mr Clarkson’s shed when they returned to search the property

Mr Clarkson, defending himself, said he had used a captive bolt gun to stun the pig before killing it but had lied to officers because he feared prosecution for possessing the gun.

He said: ‘I kill animals law-abidingly and honestly.’

He said he planned to eat the pig and had also shot kangaroos in the past.
Saved from the chop: The RSCPA rescued this pig from Mr Clarkson’s house after he was banned from keeping in animals for a year

Saved from the chop: The RSCPA rescued this pig from Mr Clarkson’s house after he was banned from keeping animals for a year

He denied causing unnecessary suffering to an animal by killing it in an inhumane manner, failing to prevent suffering to an animal that was his responsibility and killing a pig without prior stunning.

But magistrates found him guilty of all three charges and banned him from owning pigs, sheep or chickens for a year.

He was also fined £150 and ordered to pay £1,000 costs.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Change the law for ownership of bolt guns. Every meat eating person should learn how to slaughter their own food. There is if course the option to wait for natural death of the food animal, but the costs would rise tremendously, though spiritually this would be as as good as vegetarianism (died of natural causes) if the animal had lived in generally pleasant (non-battery-like surroundings). BTW, the chicken meat eater does more harm than a dog meat eater simply by virtue of the living conditions of the animal before slaughter! Dogs probably were wandering freely as opposed to battery chickens!

This is a disgrace!! …..how can someone be convicted for making yummy chops? …..the RSPCA should be shut down!

– Rich T , London, 28/11/2012 14:02

Haha at the ‘Halal-style’ slaughter. It’s a pig for goodness sake, anything but halal! – SarahIslam , Blackburn, 28/11/2012 12:29 ===== Yes, Sarah, we all know that pigs are haran – but other animals are killed halal-style or, indeed, kosher-style. The method of killing is still the same.

An official from the Ministry of Civil Affairs warned on Monday that it might take compulsory measures to ensure the dead were buried in accordance with regulations, following ongoing incidence of illegally-built tombs and graves.

The Regulation of Funeral Management, was issued by the State Council on Nov 16, stipulating that tombs and cemeteries should not be built on arable farmland, in forests, or at scenic spots.

He Qingxun, director of the funeral management section of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, said in an interview with xinhuanet.com that the civil affairs authorities could apply to the courts to take compulsory measures if tombs were illegally built.

Law of Land Management rules stipulate that those who build tombs on arable farmland can be punished.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Single tombs OR family cemeteries could be built on PRIVATELY OWNED AND FREEHOLD arable farmland (private residential properties also should be allowed, provided the graves do not occupy more than 50% of the land area, for arable farmland, no more than 25%). As for public forests, or at public scenic spots the prohibition is reasonable. This SAVES citizen funds which could circulate in the economy than being given to already wealthy cemetary running company people, and helps in preventing extreme sequestration of wealth by any licensed cemetaries especially those which only lease cemetaries which need to be paid for with very high premiums after a period of several decades.

So it should come as no surprise that Trump wants to build a luxurious, three-acre cemetery on one of his golf courses for himself, his family and members of his country club.

Still, it’s somewhat jarring to read about Trump’s ambitious plans.

The Bedminster Township Committee will consider Trump’s application to construct two lots of cemeteries at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J. One lot will be .28 acres and have 82 cemetery plots, while the other will be 2.65 acres and have 942 plots. The cemeteries are intended for the Trump family as well as lifetime members of the country club. According to NJ.com, membership fees for the club can be as much as $300,000.

And if you think that is over-the-top, this is actually a scaled-down version of what Trump originally wanted. In 2007 he applied for a family mausoleum to be built alongside the course’s first hole. According to NJ.com, the plans called for a 19-foot tall stone structure with four obelisks surrounding its exteriors and a small altar with six vaults inside. Local officials nixed that plan, calling it “gaudy and out of step with the town’s rural character.”

Trump also owns golf courses in Puerto Rico and Scotland, but the course in Bedminster is perhaps the most luxurious.

“I wanted to build this course to the absolute highest standards in golf,” Trump said in May. “If the choice is ever made to [hold the U.S. Open here], I know it would do fantastically well. If that should happen, it would be a great honor.”

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Unlike the high density acloves in Columbariums, 3 Acres should be more than enough for after Trump passes on for a comfy haunting space.

ARTICLE 13

I want to be a porn star – November 26, 2012

NOV 26 — At least, that’s what seems to be on some people’s minds.

Internet porn is so prevalent that they are creating .xxx domains for porn sites. All the .com domain of porn sites will move to the new .xxx domain — which just goes to show how large this industry has become.

At the time of writing, the controversial news of the blog entitled “Sumptious Erotica” is no longer in the headlines but people still talk about it.

By now, everybody knows that the couple — one was an Asean scholar (but since his blog made the news, his scholarship has been revoked) studying at the National University of Singapore while the other is his girlfriend — posted pictures and videos of their sexual exploits on their blog.

Just because anyone can post online, this couple decided to post sexually explicit content on their blog site. Although Alvin Tan has since apologised to NUS for bringing disrepute to the university, we can see how the Internet exposes us to pornographic materials.

According to the DailyTech website, one-third of the Internet is filled with pornographic material. Meanwhile, TheWeek.com reports there are 28,000 Internet users viewing porn every second, and that there are 1,536 websites that distribute child pornography (according to Internet Watch Foundation), and one in seven youths reports being solicited for sex online and 43 per cent of Internet users view pornographic materials online.

While porn used to be associated with dark, dingy establishments that only sleazy men seem to enter, today any Tom, Dick and Harry can have access to pornographic material online.

The Forrester Research published a report on the online adult content industry and pegged it at US$75 million (RM232 million) to US$1 billion. That’s the equivalent to some Third World countries’ GDP and that research is outdated. No one has tried to estimate the value of the online porn industry as it has become difficult to track buying habits of porn fans.

But what does this mean to young adults?

Youths increasingly think sex is nothing and have no qualms displaying their bedroom antics in public. After all, Alvin boasted he was getting offers to star in porn movies.

Pray tell, what hot-blooded young man wouldn’t want his day job to require him having sex all day — and getting paid for it? Okay, some men actually dream of changing the world but that’s another story.

And what about young women?

Porn actress Sasha Grey said on “The Tyra Banks Show” that her porn films are “sex positive” and encouraged women to explore their sexuality. The question running through my head is this: if an Asean scholar can be proud of being offered a part in porn movies, what hope do mere mortals have?

This has nothing to do with ASEAN scholars who tend to be apparatchik linked bureaucrats’ children and cronies of government colluding suppliers and contractors who do not need to compete with the non-scholars even in this area. Any uneducated person with the looks and sexuality will be no mere mortal. At least the beautiful people of the world have an additional option barring ‘ugliness/freaky’ porn which also enables a better life from sheer volume.

ARTICLE 14

Female porn stars have higher self-esteem and better quality of life than other women, according to new study – by Lucy Waterlow – PUBLISHED: 16:34 GMT, 26 November 2012 | UPDATED: 16:38 GMT, 26 November 2012

Positive outlook: Adult film stars like Jenna Jameson, pictured, were found to have a better quality of life in a recent study

A study published this week has debunked the stereotypical portrayal of porn actresses as ‘damaged goods’ who enter the adult entertainment industry because they suffer from low esteem or have been victims of childhood sexual abuse.

The report in the Journal of Sex Research found that porn stars are not more likely to have psychological problems than other women.

In fact, they discovered those in the sex entertainment industry had a more positive outlook on life with higher self-confidence and more flattering views on their body image.

Researchers at Pennsylvania’s Shippensburg University, Texas Woman’s University and the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation said they found no evidence to support the ‘damaged goods hypothesis’ that all porn actresses have come from backgrounds of sexual abuse.

What the Dickens? Erotic fiction is 4,000% more popular than high quality literature as passion for ‘mummy porn’ sees off the classics
Rowan Pelling’s sex advice column: My boyfriend can’t get over my fling…even though we were on a break

‘Some descriptions of actresses in pornography have included attributes such as drug addiction, homelessness, poverty, desperation and being victims of sexual abuse.

‘Some have made extreme assertions, such as claiming that all women in pornography were sexually abused as children,’ the report states.

But ‘there were no differences in incidence of childhood sexual abuse’ between the porn actresses questioned and the cross section of ‘average’ women, according to their findings.
High self-esteem: Porn actresses had more self-confidence and were happy with their body image compared to the other women questioned (posed by model)

The report, entitled Pornography Actresses: An Assessment of the Damaged Goods Hypothesis, adds these stereotypes have been embraced by anti-porn campaigners even though they found no evidence to support the view that porn actresses are less psychologically stable then other women.

‘Stereotypes of those involved in adult entertainment have been used to support or condemn the industry and to justify political views on pornography, although the actual characteristics of actresses are unknown because no study on this group of women has been conducted,’ the report explains.

For the study, the researchers compared 177 adult entertainment actresses aged from 18 to 50 with women of the same age, ethnicity and marital status who are not in the porn industry.

The average time the women questioned had spent working in the sex entertainment industry was three-and-a-half years with all of them being paid to work on at least one X-rated movie.

More than one-third were either married or in a serious relationship, while 44 per cent were single.

The study compared their sexual behaviour and attitutes, self-esteem, quality of life and drug use with the ‘average’ women.

The adult entertainers were found to have higher self-esteem with more positive views on their body image.
Protesters: The researchers said they didn’t find evidence to support anti-porn campaigners views that women in the industry are more likely to have a background of childhood sexual abuse

Protesters: The researchers said they didn’t find evidence to support anti-porn campaigners views that women in the industry are more likely to have a background of childhood sexual abuse

They also had greater levels of spirituality and were rated as having a better quality of life because they slept better and had more energy.

Almost 70 per cent said they had a fulfilling sex life compared to 33 per cent of the other women.

In terms of their sexual history, the report found that the porn actresses had more sexual partners, were more likely to be bisexual and had become sexually active at a younger age – the average being 15 years compared to 17 for the non-porn industry workers.

While the report challenged the stereotype of porn actresses as drug addicts, drug use was found to be more prevalent among the entertainers. They were more likely to have tried ten different types of drugs compared to the control group.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Do differentiate between non-GMO ORGANIC drugs which most of humanity used before the industrial era and SYNTHETIC DRUGS which do not break down naturally.

A group of naturists admire the view from a hilltop on the outskirts of Beijing. Photos provided to China Daily

China’s naturists often fantasize about baring it all in the sun and the wind, but secluded and safe places are hard to find and public acceptance is equally lacking. Raymond Zhou takes a closer look at the bare facts.

Autumn offers the best weather for Beijing. In 2009, a group of six people took advantage of the golden autumn days and drove 120 kilometers to a far suburb of the capital city in search of a place where they cannot be seen.

They were naturists, who go with the intention of strolling about in their birthday suits in the embrace of Mother Nature.

One of them had discovered a mountain in Huairou, to the northeast of central Beijing. There were no tourists, and they picked a trail with no traces of other humans. After climbing up for half an hour, they came to a giant flat rock. It seemed ideal for sunbathing au naturel.

Before they could totally relax, however, they were visited by a large swarm of wasps. The insects seemed especially attracted to the two female members of the group. While fending off the winged invaders, the naturists found to their dismay that they themselves had trespassed. There were two hornets’ nests beneath the rock.

As they left the place and trekked deeper into the mountain, they stumbled onto more wildlife — a swarm of butterflies and a lone snake. Finally, they settled on a spot under a chestnut tree. Using twigs as a temporary fence so that insects would climb up rather than sneak in, the group put towels on the trodden grass and started taking off their clothes.

The best thing about this spot was, they could see people coming up, but not vice versa. The worst thing: It was too cramped for comfort.

This episode is typical of the dilemma faced by China’s growing numbers of naturists.

Bare necessities

In a country with more than 1.3 billion people, it is not easy to find a public space that is naturally secluded. Wherever you go, you are likely to run into someone who is not ready to accept social nudity, or worse, who is prone to interpret such acts as hooliganism, a vague term in China that may encompass anything from sexual harassment to graffiti.

According to Fang Gang, an expert on sex and gender issues, it is impossible to estimate the number of naturists in China, but he speculates the potential is massive.

For Chinese naturists, finding a public space that is naturally secluded is always a challenge. Photo provided to China Daily

“Anyone who went skinny-dipping while on an overseas excursion is basically a naturist,” he says. Likewise, nobody knows how many naturist groups China has because none has been officially registered.

In online forums, there are many groups with a proclaimed interest in naturism. But Fang explains that most of them only talk about it. Nothing will come out of it, he says.

A few would organize meetings, not the clothing optional type, but fully dressed, for more talks about the possibility of arranging something. Out of those, a very small fraction may truly do something like the autumn getaway described above.

Fang Gang, whose recent book on naturism is the first in the country to tackle the phenomenon, argues that existing Chinese laws do not make this kind of public nudity illegal.

The most frequently cited law says: Anyone who molests others or intentionally exposes oneself in a public place and causes bad consequences will be subject to detention of more than five days but less than 10 days.

Fang interprets it as a law which targets exhibitionists who expose their private parts to harass another person.

“Naturists care only about their own state of dressing and do not intend to target any outsiders. They do not have an object for violation,” he says.

As a matter of fact, China’s naturists go out of their way to avoid what they call the “textile public”. That is why it is so troublesome for them to find a natural enclave where they can rest or play sports stark naked.

Usually when a naturist bumps into a non-naturist in the wilderness, he will cover himself with his backpack and let the other person pass. The clothed person, who might be startled, ideally understands what’s been encountered and moves on.

It only becomes a problem when the police or media get alerted, says Fang. The cops may come and drive away the naturists if it is a regular hangout; or the media may report on it, eliciting derision and outcries from the public.

“Anyone who went skinny-dipping while on an overseas excursion is basically a naturist,” he says. Likewise, nobody knows how many naturist groups China has because none has been officially registered.

In online forums, there are many groups with a proclaimed interest in naturism. But Fang explains that most of them only talk about it. Nothing will come out of it, he says.

A few would organize meetings, not the clothing optional type, but fully dressed, for more talks about the possibility of arranging something. Out of those, a very small fraction may truly do something like the autumn getaway described above.

Fang Gang, whose recent book on naturism is the first in the country to tackle the phenomenon, argues that existing Chinese laws do not make this kind of public nudity illegal.

The most frequently cited law says: Anyone who molests others or intentionally exposes oneself in a public place and causes bad consequences will be subject to detention of more than five days but less than 10 days.

Fang interprets it as a law which targets exhibitionists who expose their private parts to harass another person.

“Naturists care only about their own state of dressing and do not intend to target any outsiders. They do not have an object for violation,” he says.

As a matter of fact, China’s naturists go out of their way to avoid what they call the “textile public”. That is why it is so troublesome for them to find a natural enclave where they can rest or play sports stark naked.

Usually when a naturist bumps into a non-naturist in the wilderness, he will cover himself with his backpack and let the other person pass. The clothed person, who might be startled, ideally understands what’s been encountered and moves on.

It only becomes a problem when the police or media get alerted, says Fang. The cops may come and drive away the naturists if it is a regular hangout; or the media may report on it, eliciting derision and outcries from the public.

“But after the police and the media are gone, the naturists will come back. Local authorities turn a blind eye,” he says. “The nude beach in Sanya was shut down in 2008 when it made headlines, but there’s a lot of clothing-free activities there now.”

He also visited the famous nudist park on Harbin’s Sun Island. It turned out to be a very isolated patch inside the mammoth park that takes great effort to locate.

Fang says, to his knowledge, no one in China has ever been punished for naturist activities.

“The most the police would do is to banish a naturist from a public premise.”

There have been several reported incidents involving artists, who use streaking or other forms of nudism for artistic creation, but these were officially banned. The online public tends to label them “strange”, “crazy” or “perverse”.

The biggest misconception about naturism, insists Fang Gang, who has written some 50 books on sexology, is sex.

While the public predominantly sees naturism as a precursor to sex, naturists contend that pure naturism is anything but sex.

Fang Gang argues that nude is a natural state. Except for the most physically attractive among us, he says, clothing enhances sexual appeal while total nudity would do the opposite.

Those who want to use social nudism for sexcapades are in for a rude awakening.

A Beijing naturist with the nickname Piggy has participated in a few clothing-optional outings. He says the kind of group atmosphere is not inductive to sexual fantasy.

“Everyone knows where the line is, and nobody wants to cross it. People may tell a few dirty jokes, but that’s not different from a regular group trip.”

However, in online bulletin boards, one of the most frequent questions that pop up is about sexual arousal: “What if I have an erection in front of others, especially females?”

Naturists interviewed for Fang’s book claim this is extremely rare. Most have never encountered it. For those few who have witnessed it, they say it’s usually handled by temporarily covering oneself with a towel.

“It quickly goes away,” they add.

Naturist forums strictly ban the posting of photos of a sexual nature. In a nudist colony, one is not supposed to leer at another person or say anything provocative.

No sexual activities are allowed in public, not even between couples. Some groups even prohibit dancing or alcohol drinking for fear that they may lead to fondling.

Many approach naturist groups with sexual curiosity. For example, many men would inquire about female members in a group. They would back away once they find out no female has signed up for a group gathering.

On the other hand, the appearance of a pretty young woman would invariably attract a lot of attention.

A 24-year-old Beijing woman named Xiu-xiu went to a group spa, her first nudist event, and disrobed while eating. Some men noticed this and joked that she was “burning with sexual desire”.

“Nothing is pure,” she says afterwards. “It is human nature. But why can men walk around bare-chested and women cannot?”

Among those who lean toward nudism but balk at taking it all off are people uncomfortable with their own bodies. “I’d do it if I’m physically fit,” some would say.

In a larger picture, Chinese society, unlike the ancient Greeks, does not celebrate the human body. While some can accept the aesthetic beauty of the supermodel type in artistically tasteful arrangements, most tend to treat a regular nude as an ugly sight, something to be covered up.

There is essentially no tradition in China of enjoying the nude for what it is — other than a sexual object.

There are occasions where public nudity is accepted, such as in public bathhouse where people of the same gender shower or bathe together without any awkwardness. But with widespread indoor plumbing and private bathrooms, this, too, is dying out.

“Most people believe nudism has to be associated with sex,” says Fang Gang. “Deep down, we still adopt an attitude of mystery and sexual objectification toward nudism. And beyond that, we tend to paint sex in a negative light.”

Li Yinhe, another renowned sexologist, says that Chinese culture has always been conservative toward nudity with the possible exception of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) with its sexually suggestive fashion and dance moves.

“Whether you regard the human body as beautiful or ugly, it should not be used as a moral guide for nudism.

The bottom line is whether such an activity infringes on others. If nudism does not hurt others, it is not immoral.

Even if 99 percent of the population may not like it, they should still respect the choice of the 1 percent,” Li says.

Meanwhile, many Chinese naturists admit they are made to “feel like thieves”, either in private homes or stripping just long enough in nature to take a photo or two.

All they want, says Fang Gang, is a natural environment that is relatively private, maybe an uninhabited island.

Contact the writer at raymondzhou@chindadaily.com.cn.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Ok, USA seriously needs to keep up with the Chinese Human Rights Joneses now. The ‘Nudist Challenge’ simply is to zone spaces (probably natural settings, but even urban settings could work if the preference is there) in appropriate size to the registered communities. The ‘Morally Affluent’ in USA have been terming nudists as ‘Human Form of Vermin’ long enough. Time for ‘Barry Stark’ to take over appropriate districts in all state capitals if ‘Iron Man Suits’ are to have any chance of besting China based on per capita number of nudists, so pay attention boffins, heres your fine example of ‘Chaos Physics’ . . .

Yes, we all know that we’re more likely to be struck by lightning or attacked by a shark than to win one of the lottery’s biggest jackpots.

But the bad odds didn’t stop readers this week from dreaming about what they would do if they had been the biggest winners of the $580 million Powerball drawing on Wednesday night.

A post this week on how you could amend your holiday shopping list if you raked in the big jackpot got readers talking about how they could improve their lives – and the lives of others – with hundreds of millions of dollars.

Follow @todaymoney

Of the nearly 20,000 people who took our survey, more than half said their No.1 goal would be to buy a really nice house.

“A new home for my parents to move in with me in their old age then remodel my old home and donate it to homeless veterans,” one reader wrote.

Many readers said their first impulse would be to help others, in addition to themselves.

“I’d make sure every kid in my county had a good meal, decent clothes, supplies, and something fun–just for starters,” one reader wrote.

Others said they’d like to give back to organizations that have helped them in the past.

“My gift would be to donate a majority to Children’s Hospital -Wisconsin. They saved my kid’s life and I will never be able to repay them,” one grateful reader wrote.

Many readers had modest dreams, involving the things and people they loved.

“Nothing too fancy. I would like my ’66 Chevy truck fully restored, a decent house with a shop, and then a historic tour through Europe,” one reader wrote.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Try this one. Set up a string of banks in USA’s largest cities based on the next article’s response (ARTICLE 17). Prestigious and helpful to set up, and also a much needed and long overdue slap in the face of the greed minded extremist-Capitalists. USA is not about Capitalism and enriching CEOs. USA is about freedom.

ARTICLE 17

Sen. Sanders: Wall Street CEOs are the ‘Faces of Class Warfare’ – Common Dreams staff – Published on Friday, November 30, 2012 by Common Dreams

Incredulous that Wall Street investment bankers and billionaire CEOs have descended on Washington in the midst of ongoing budget talks to tell Americans that they should “lower their expectations” when it comes to the security of their retirement and future health care, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders took to the Senate floor Thursday to call out the audacity of corporate-minded millionaires and billionaires, calling them the new “face of class warfare” in the United States.

“I find it literally beyond comprehension, that we have folks from Wall Street who received huge bailouts from the people of our country—from working families in this country—because of the greed and recklessness and illegal behavior, which Wall Street did to drive us into this recession, and now these very same people are coming here to Congress to lecture us and the American people about how we have to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid while they enjoy huge salaries and retirement benefits.”

Sanders specifically called out CEO of Goldman Sachs, Lloyd Blankfein, who has recently been making both the media rounds and consulting with lawmakers regarding the ongoing tax and budget debate in Washington during the current lame duck session. Blankfein, one of the highest paid executives on Wall Street and worth hundred of millions personally, made the comments about ‘lowered expectations’ in a recent evening news interview with CBS and said that average Americans should understand that the US simply can’t “afford” to maintain programs like Social Security and Medicare.

The facts of such sentiments, as many economists repeatedly point out, are false, but Sanders said that Blankfein delivered the familiar rightwing trope “with all the sympathy for someone struggling to get by on $14,000-a-year retirement that you’d expect from a Wall Street banker paid $16 million last year.”(Background image via New York Magazine)

Blankfein is also a member of the CEO cabal that has come together under the banner ‘Fix The Debt’ to protect the historically low tax rates of the nation’s wealthy elite while simultaneously calling for the slashing of social programs. As the Huffington Post reports:

CEOs including Blankfein have been warning that the fiscal cliff could hurt business investment, hiring and the economy as a whole, and they have been calling for cuts to the social safety net to avert it. Dozens of major CEOs, including Blankfein, are members of the CEO council of the campaign Fix the Debt, which calls for cuts to Medicare and Medicaid and vague Social Security reform to address the deficit. More than 80 CEOs, including Blankfein, also signed a recent letter calling for deficit reduction.

But as a recent report from the Institute for Policy Studies aimed to show, the ‘Fix the Debt’ campaign, which has raised $60 million to lobby for a debt deal that “would reduce corporate taxes and shift costs onto the poor and elderly,” is really just a Trojan horse designed to use an invented debt crisis to achieve long-held agenda goals.

“Think about the arrogance of these guys on Wall Street who were bailed out by the middle class of this country when their greed and recklessness nearly destroyed the financial system and now they come to Capitol Hill to lecture Congress and the American people about the need to cut programs for working families.” — Sen. Bernie Sanders

The CEOs involved in the group, including Blankfein, are trying to “pass themselves off as noble leaders who are willing to compromise in order the save America from financial ruin,” explain co-authors of the report Scott Klinger and Sarah Anderson. But the reality is that these CEOs are “leveraging the ‘Fiscal Cliff'” in order to push age old attempts to avoid paying taxes at the expense of those in need, they say.

And, as Ezra Klein points out in a recent Bloomberg op-ed, the US has an ‘austerity crisis’ not a ‘debt crisis’. Klein argues that employing the much-used term “fiscal cliff” mistates the nature of the financial and policy realities. Worse, he says, the term “provides no hint of how to solve it.”

He says, “I prefer the term ‘austerity crisis,’ which at least describes the real issue — too much austerity, imposed too quickly.”

Called by its true name or not, the CEOs behind ‘Fix the Debt’—with Lloyd Blankfein and Honeywell’s David Cote leading the charge— are using the generated panic around the talks as a way to impose their own interests and have proven unafraid to speak boldly and use their fast resources to make their case.

However, what Klinger and Anderson call ‘leverage’, Sanders simply called arrogance Thursday.

“Think about the arrogance of these guys on Wall Street who were bailed out by the middle class of this country when their greed and recklessness nearly destroyed the financial system and now they come to Capitol Hill to lecture Congress and the American people about the need to cut programs for working families,” he said

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Banks take your money and return you 1-3% in FLAT interest in most areas of the world. But what most people fail to connect is that the bank takes the money you deposit and lends THE SAME MONEY to a loan taker at up to 20% COMPOUND interest. This means banks get a 10 times the premium on what you get in interest ON YOUR MONEY. So 99%ters please do yourself a favour and either :

– NOT deposit your cash in the bank
– store in actual gold which does not drop in value – any respectable country should have that facility for state protected gold sales
– do not buy from banks PASS BOOK Gold ‘ON REPUTATION’, the government has colluded even while selling actual gold in many cases (in most cases and the bank will act as if they can deliver the actual gold which they do not have)
– OR set up a people’s cooperative bank in your local community

A people’s cooperative bank in your local community that REWARDS the depositors with at very least 50% of what the bank makes YEARLY in redistributed interest from loan profits (no loans given out means no profits btw) AND NOT give massive bonuses to CEOs or Exec staff more than 1% of the bank’s profits instead. (That same money could have been given as high INTEREST RATES for all depositors but instead the idiot 1% CEO gets the payout)

While a cooperative’s poorer paying bank (this is a bank for degree holders with a conscience) might not attract ‘brand name’ CEOs, financially the DEPOSITORS get the better deal and the bank will not be BILLIONS in debt while propped up by the state. Any private bank may set up any rules or rates, and the first rule should be that the any GOOD/HONEST BANK should apply/ackhnowledgge before setting rates is that THE DEPOSITOR’S CAPITAL IS THE BASIS OF THE BANK’S ABILITY TO LEND.

The base required capital for a bank to be set up is generally a few million, nothing a bunch of 401K citizens could set up in several man band (rebels of the banking system no less much like the difference between punk bands out of a back of a van as opposed to 950 sterling seat ticket concerts), though the cooperative must be fully prepared for saboteurs taking loans and all other dirty tricks INCLUDING government collusion in preventing setting up of the bank to protect collusive interests between term limitless bureaucrats and term limitless politicians. Finally public listing means a bank is a gambling machine with overinflated value that can disappear as fast as stockholders run and is liable to sabotage. A stock listed bank is far more dangerous than a non-stock listed bank due to false flag acquisitions and ‘majority stockholders’ (who doubtless will use the red ocean mindset on the bank’s assets), though the branch issue could be a problem unless similarly structures cooperatives begin cooperating worldwide.

Vermont – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Vermont is the 6th least extensive and the 2nd least populous of the 50 United States of America … (low density means a good life that allowed the people living there to retain high ideals, as for lest extensive that might foster community awareness . . . the environment colours the citizens, and as opposed to NTDBF (no prizes for the acronym) Singapore, – in Penang, guess what colours this writer learnt . . . but greener pastures await if Lynas doesn’t destroy one of the last rainforest reserves in the world first from the city out . . .)

JOHOR BAHARU, Nov 29 – KPJ Healthcare Bhd, a member of Johor Corporation (JCorp) Group, continues its aggressive expansion in the regional healthcare market by acquiring a substantial stake in a Thailand hospital.

Its Chairman Kamaruzzaman Abu Kassim said KPJ forked out RM63 million to buy 23 per cent of multi specialty private healthcare provider, Vejthani Hospital, in Bangkok.

The 500-bed hospital is famous for its specialty in orthopaedic treatment.

“The stake acquisition in a Thailand Hospital will expand KPJ’s reach within Asean’s healthcare market. The potential profit contribution from Vejthani Hospital is expected to enhance KPJ Group’s earnings in the future,” said Kamaruzzaman, who is also JCorp President and Chief Executive, to reporters after attending KPJ’s extraordinary general meeting.

He said the stake acquisition would be fulfilled via internal-generated funds but the transaction was expected to increase the company’s gearing by about six per cent by the second quarter of next year.

KPJ bought the stake from a private equity fund.

According to Vejthani Hospital’s website, it handled about 300,000 patients annually, with its share of international patients coming from 40 different countries worldwide.

He said efforts to grow KPJ’s medical tourism segment was continuing, with the company targeting to raise the revenue contribution from the segment to as high as 25 per cent by 2020.

Besides Malaysia where it owned 22 private specialist hospitals, KPJ also has a presence in Indonesia with two hospitals in Jakarta and a retirement and aged care resort called Jeta Gardens in Brisbane, Australia.

Meanwhile, Managing Director Datin Paduka Siti Sa’diah Sheikh Bakir, who was also present at the media conference, said apart from local parties, KPJ also received enquiries from foreign parties wanting the company to have a presence in their countries.

The second resolution was on the proposed disposal of two pieces of land in Johor Baharu by KPJ’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Puteri Specialist Hospital (Johor) Sdn Bhd, to Al-’Aqar Healthcare REIT for a total cash consideration of RM3.6 million.

The last resolution in today’s EGM was on the proposed acquisition of a parcel of vacant commercial land in Mukim Tebrau, Johor Baharu, by Renalcare Perubatan (M) Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned unit of KPJ from Johor Land Bhd for RM45 million.

The purchase of the land in Bandar Dato Onn was to enable KPJ to build a 150-bed private hospital, costing RM100 million, by early next year and be completed by 2015.

KPJ’s Bandar Dato Onn Hospital was one of the six hospitals the company planned to build throughout the country, which was under the ambit of the government’s Entry Point Projects (EPP). – Bernama

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Guess those white (or any well informed) VIPs won’t want to go to Thailand anymore. Knowing what some Muslets are like, every VIP who steps into that Thai hospital (or any hospital with strong funding from certain regions) will have their brains scanned and their souls converted to Islam (not very effective but mostly mind control form – that is why there are suicide bombers only in Islam IMHO . . . 3rd world types brainwashed into violent natures and terrorism . . . ). We can imagine the form this will take, the committee will give face by allowing in Muslim medical personnel and well, we all know where that goes from here don’t we? Subverted citizens haplessly unaware of Muslet involvement in medical industry in Thailand. Guesss India or even China will take over or medical tourism here on. Poor Thailand, not very careful and this could be LGBT hate inspired in a very chilling manner, with inhumane intent! One thing we have learn from living in a Muslim country (look into the soul of this one specifically to know the dangers of a Muslet riddled medical institution), much less medical tourism or something scarier in the article below . . .

He was a previously well 49 year-old man who developed a mild undiagnosed respiratory illness while visiting Saudi Arabia during August 2012, which fully resolved. He subsequently presented to a physician in Qatar on 3 September, with cough, myalgia and arthralgia, and was prescribed oral antibiotics. Five days later, he was admitted to a Qatari hospital with fever (38.4 °C) and hypoxia, with oxygen saturation of 91% on room air. A chest X-ray showed bilateral lower zone consolidation. He was treated with ceftriaxone, azithromycin and oseltamivir. After 48 hours, he required intubation and ventilation and was transferred by air ambulance to London. During transfer, he was clinically unstable, requiring manual ventilation.

Mounts says when the first two infections with this virus were spotted, in June and then September, both men had been in Mecca, Saudia Arabia, before they got sick. As such the chance existed that the source of infection — which is currently unknown — was only found there.

But the newest infections show that isn’t possible. Some of the Saudi cases had not been to Mecca before they got sick. They live in and fell ill in Riyadh, the capital. And the most recent case from Qatar lives in Doha and had not recently travelled outside the country.

The above comments raise questions about a Mecca source for the novel betacornavirus reported in the past few months. The first set of comments (in red) is from a Eurosuveillance report on the first confirmed case (49M) from Qatar. Although the patient developed a severe illness more than 10 days after returning from a visit to Saudi Arabia, a mild respiratory illness developed while in Saudi Arabia, raising concerns that the coronavirus isolated after transfer to London caused the mild disease in Saudi Arabia and then caused the more severe symptoms when the patient relapsed.

The second set of comments (in blue) cite a WHO technical representative, who notes that both of the initial confirmed cases had traveled to Mecca prior to symptoms, raising concerns that these initial cases were linked to infections in Mecca that were linked to preparations for the Hajj which includes visits to Mecca and Medina by pilgrims who journey to Saudi Arabia from many countries outside of the Middle East including Indonesia, Pakistan, and India. The brother of the surviving case 49F indicated his brother went to Mecca for Umrah week.

This linkage of the Qatar case to the Hajj may have precipitated the curious comments in an October 22 ProMed report by Dr Ziad Memish who is the Deputy Minister of Public Health for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) as well as Director for WHO Collaborating Center for Mass Gatherings. Memish was concerned that ProMED was reporting notifiable diseases outside of normal channels and noted that there was more of a story to tell. Although KSA reported the two cases above, the reports on subsequent cases lacked detail. The third case was hospitalized in Riyadh and was recovering, but no age, gender, or dates were released. The same was true for the fourth case, which was also in Riyadh and media reports indicated the KSA MoH noted the cases had no serious consequences, yet two relatives of the fourth case had died after renal failure. Renal failure was also reported for the first two confirmed cases as well as about 5% of SARS cases in 2003. Most of the SARS CoV cases with renal failure died.

Similarly, WHO described the recent cases from Saudi Arabia as well as the second case from Qatar, while withholding age, gender, and dates. The WHO report did indicate that two of the confirmed cases were epidemiologically linked to each other as well as two additional symptomatic family members. The untested family member (70M) died after developing renal failure as did his son, who tested positive for the novel betacornavirus. The fourth family member was symptomatic, but tested negative. Some media reports suggest he may be retested. Media reports also indicted the son was hospitalized after his father died, suggest a gap in disease onset dates signaling human to human transmission. Media reports also indicate the cluster was in October, but not reported until November 23. The height of Hajj activities were in October, which is also when the second Qatar case was infected, although he did not travel outside of Doha prior to his illness.

Media reports indicated all six confirmed cases and the two probable cases were male, which may have affected testing or may have been related to religious ceremonies which limit interactions between genders. The linkage of the first two confirmed cases to Mecca raises concerns that the novel coronavirus may have spread among Hajj attendees, who subsequently spread the virus to other locations, including Riyadh and Doha.

More information on the Riyadh cluster, include ages and disease onset dates as well as sequences from the associated coronavirus, would be useful.

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Bioterrorism perhaps (and this could be from either side . . . )? Those hapless subverted pilgrims especially from any Western (or even ASEAN) country could be (and have been) now carrying a dusting of anything terribly dangerous, some of which will not be ‘activated’ until the warm season etc., nanomites etc.. Every nation with pilgrims had better give all Hajj returnees a good hazmat treatment and quarantine when they return . . .

ARTICLE 20

Chinese tycoon must reapply for approval on Iceland resort – December 02, 2012

REYKJAVIK, Dec 2 – A Chinese tycoon who wants to build a major tourist resort in a remote corner of northeast Iceland must reapply for permission to go ahead with the project, Icelandic media reported yesterday.

Cabinet ministers, led by Industry Minister Steingrimur Sigfusson, said they were unable to make a final decision on Huang Nubo’s application as much information remained unavailable, state radio RUV reported.

His plans have been highly controversial, with some commentators saying they raise questions about regional security because of Iceland’s strategic location in the Arctic where several nations are competing for resources.

Huang has already agreed with municipalities in the area to lease 70 per cent of a 300-square-km farm, where he plans to build a golf course, hotel and outdoor recreation area.

State radio said Huang’s Iceland-registered firm Zhongkun Grimsstadir had in mid-November asked for more time to supply further information, and that it could take a few more months.

In a letter to architect Halldor Johannsson, Huang’s Icelandic representative, the government said Huang should submit a new application which would be reviewed by a government committee.

Huang, who is chairman of Beijing-based Zhongkun Investment Group and was 161st on the Forbes list of the richest Chinese in 2010, plans to reapply as soon as he has gathered the information needed, RUV reported.

Iceland is recovering from its worst-ever financial crisis after the complete collapse of its top banks in 2008, and it is keen to lure foreign investment.

RUV says there would be investment of about 20 billion Iceland krona (RM482 million) in the project and that 400-600 jobs could be created.

The government’s decision was seen by observers as a sign the cabinet wanted to postpone the matter until after planned parliamentary elections in May next year. – Reuters

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How about giving the nail house another look? Perhaps someone else would like to build on the space where the title is. One would never know who their friends were and China should leave lasting symbols like nail houses in place. China is a disappointment here, or the will of the house owner for love of human rights is not strong enough. Let there be nail houses throughout China!

KUALA LUMPUR – The DAP today urged the Malaysian government to lodge diplomatic protests over Israel’s cruel actions on the people of Gaza, Palestine.

Its secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said Wisma Putra (the Foreign Ministry) should make vehement protests on Israel’s actions to the United States and the United Nations so that the violence perpetrated against the people of Gaza was stopped forthwith.

“DAP condemns Israel’s using its military might disproportionately to the rocket attacks from Palestinian fighters. Israel’s aggression on Gaza always brings unnecessary deaths and damage to property,” he said in a statement here today.

At least 30 people have been killed and scores others injured, including women and children, in Israel’s latest airstrikes on the Gaza Strip which began on Wednesday.

Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza and the brutal killings of innocent Palestinians. The incessant shelling of whatever that is left of the Palestinian homeland is a gross violation of international law and constitutes acts of cold blooded murder.

We categorically condemn these blatant acts of aggression and call on the international community to do whatever that is necessary to put an end to the violence. The continued bombardment and the calling up of 75,000 reservists constitute a grave threat to peace and stability in the region.

We would reiterate the warning by both Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi that serious consequences would ensue if Israel follows up with its threat of a ground offensive.

Take clear moral stand

President Barack Obama must act immediately and decisively to put to an end to the increasing tension in the region by making it clear to Israel that their continued acts of aggression and the indiscriminate bombing of Gaza will have severe implications not just for the region but for international peace and stability.

All peace loving nations must take a clear moral stand on this issue and pressure Israel to cease its brutal, inhumane and oppressive actions against the people of Gaza, already marginalized for years and since 2006, unfairly penalised by the Western powers for having elected Hamas to power.

DAP is the worst political party EVER. We still have APARTHEID of BUMIPUTRA here in Malaysia and DAP wants to target Israel AN ENTIRE country embroiled in decades of war instead? GTFO of Dewan DAP! End apartheid and unequal citizenships first then talk about Israel. If DAP can’t even walk as equals among Malaysians, DAP has no business talking about Israel. DAP is run by nepotistic term limitless idiots.

Also selected comments from another media site confirm DAP’s irrelevance to Malaysian politics and lack of interest in Human Rights locally (DAP accepts 2nd class citizenships but wants to fight the 10th Crusade on the side of Muslims? Obama didn’t get through to Anwar now did he? PKR has not spoken against apartheid or ensured Article 18 of the Human Rights Charter but wants to berate Obama on Palestine? Send in the marines!

Sunday, 18 November 2012 12:28 posted by Malaysian

DAP is barking up the wrong tree. It is now supporting aggressors. Hamas knew that the rocket attacks on Israel would get a strong response if they kept it up long enough. Were they thinking of the wellbeing of the Palestinians in this case? I think not. Like many in the world community, DAP has now been drawn into condemning Israel’s right to defend itself while conveniently forgetting that it was Hamas who started the violence. Can we have some common sense here, or is it too much to ask of DAP on this issue?

Sunday, 18 November 2012 14:38 posted by CorruptWorld

The corrupt and dictatorial leaderships in the middle east nations are fearful of the momentum of “the Arab Spring”. Rhetorica against Iran’s nuclear program, Iran supports Asad of Syria n militants in Iraq, Hezbollah meddling in Labenon, all year long Hamas firing rockets into Isreal, Isreal heavy response….these are planned political, big arms deals and corruption from bottom to top maneuvers by the leaders in West and East to divert or kill off the middle east peoples’ uprising and yearn for freedom and change of governments. Both, Isreal and Hamas are to blame for escalating tensions and hardship on their own people’s. When peace is near and real, they both acting up again. The ruling Government of Isreal is not true Jews as with Hamas is not true Muslims.

Sunday, 18 November 2012 22:31 posted by dominic

This is the second call from PR leaders . I have yet to see any call for Hamas to immediately cease their un-provocative shelling of Israel . Any disagreement is best settled on the round table instead of lobbing mortars and missles to gander international support and attention . Any peace at all need both side to abide collectively. No one party can go in alone !

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Drop the Israel-Palestine B.S.. . . ARE YOU A MINORITY living in Malaysia @dominic? If there is no equal standing locally for 40% of the population, stop talking about a country half a world away and handle the local issues first, Malaysia is half a Trillion in debt and has apartheid issues, this Israel-Palestine conflict is the work of SUPERPOWERS, and China and India are modest enough to keep their distance to let Russia and USA handle this, not even England or the EU want to get involved and here we have BN or Pakatan making alot of noise on the side . . . can’t even have equality, country in serious debt, can’t end Apartheid, and want to target the Middle East issues? Malaysian citizens as unfocused as Malaysian politicians, backyard issues first!

ARTICLE 2

The Ipoh boy who spoke no English… and rose to be Chief Justice – Sunday, 18 November 2012 08:29

This is an excerpt of a tribute delivered by Law Minister K. Shanmugam in Parliament on Monday to Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong, who retired on Nov 6.

SINGAPORE’S constitutional framework enshrines the rule of law, the independence of the courts and the separation of powers.

The Constitution establishes the Judiciary as a separate and independent institution, and charges it with the responsibility to interpret the law and apply it to cases which come before the courts.

At the head of the Judiciary is the Chief Justice. Through his judgments and extra-judicial writings, his presidency over appellate hearings and even his personal conduct, the Chief Justice sets the tone for the administration of justice in Singapore.

It is a heavy responsibility, and Singapore has been singularly fortunate that, for the past six years, that responsibility has been discharged by Chief Justice Chan.

Humble background

THE Chief Justice came from a humble background. He lived in a communal house in Ipoh, started his education late because of the war, and could not speak English when he first went to school.

But adversity did not slow him down. He was one of the top students in the Senior Cambridge School Certificate in 1955, with eight distinctions.

He could not decide what to read at university. He was not thinking of doing law – he had no idea what a legal career would be like. Happily for Singapore, he was persuaded to do law by his English literature teacher, Dr Etherton, who said that he had a “very crafty mind” – in a good sense.

Chief Justice Chan joined the inaugural LL.B. class of 1961 in the then University of Malaya, and was one of the top students in a class that produced several other students who went on to hold high positions in the law.

Private practice

CHIEF Justice Chan practised briefly in Kuala Lumpur before joining Braddell Brothers in Singapore in 1963. He did so because he wanted to continue to be with then his girlfriend, Elisabeth Eber, whom he later married.

Later, the Chief Justice joined Shook Lin & Bok, where he rose to become the managing partner and one of Singapore’s leading banking and corporate lawyers, with a complete mastery of the law and a keen understanding of commercial and practical realities.

He was the counsel of choice for many banks and financial institutions, and drafted many of the standard banking and corporate documents used throughout Singapore in the late 1970s and in the 1980s.

The Chief Justice never hid behind verbiage. I once had to advise on a guarantee which was drafted by the Chief Justice. It comprised two paragraphs, in a telex. The party which challenged the validity of the guarantee – perhaps because it looked too short to be a guarantee! – later backed down. Though brief, the document was clear and accurate. That was the hallmark of the Chief Justice: in the way he gave his advice, in the way he drafted documents and in the way he wrote his judgments.

Judicial commissioner and judge

CHIEF Justice Chan was appointed a Judicial Commissioner in 1986 – the first person to be so appointed. He was later elevated to be a Judge in 1988.

During his first judicial tenure, from 1986 to 1992, the Chief Justice demonstrated the independence of mind and the keenness of analysis that lawyers today are familiar with. In this period, he heard a fair number of public law cases, and, in his own words, “the decisions are fairly divided between those decided for and against the Government”.

It was during this period that I started my own career in the law. In 1987, I appeared as a junior, with Mr Joseph Grimberg, in a case before the Chief Justice. The precedents were not clear. While Mr Grimberg was making his arguments, the Chief Justice somehow noticed – I don’t know how, perhaps it showed in my face – that I was keen for a point to be made. He asked Mr Grimberg to ask me what the point was. I was quite struck that the Chief Justice noticed everything in his court – he was so alert that he even picked up on the thought processes of a junior, and pursued the point.

His handling of the case, both in the way he conducted the hearing, as well as his legal analysis, left a deep impression on me.

He had an excellent judicial temperament – no flourish, no hyperbole, no drama. He always cut to the chase, succinct. He was usually well ahead of counsel and on top of all the issues – a first-rate, world-class judicial mind.

Attorney-General

IN 1992, Chief Justice Chan was appointed the third Attorney-General of Singapore.

As Public Prosecutor, he had the constitutional responsibility for instituting and conducting prosecutions. He acted firmly and in the public interest. At the same time, he was fair to the accused.

He enhanced the capabilities of the Attorney-General’s Chambers by strengthening the Civil and Criminal Divisions, and setting up the International Affairs Division and the Law Reform and Law Revision Division. His successors have built on this strong foundation, and today the AGC has a full- fledged team of first-rate lawyers, numbering about 250.

As Attorney-General, and later as Chief Justice, Chief Justice Chan played a leading role in the Pedra Branca litigation.

He presented our case before the International Court of Justice in a very clear manner, together with Professor S. Jayakumar, Professor Tommy Koh and others. The ICJ decisively upheld Singapore’s sovereignty over Pedra Branca. Chief Justice’s personal interests – he is a keen student of history – helped substantially in presenting Singapore’s case. His collection of South-east Asian history books, one of the largest in Singapore, was extensively used for the ICJ hearing.

Chief Justice

Mr Chan was appointed as Chief Justice in 2006. The appointment was received with great enthusiasm by the legal community.

Chan Sek Keong the Chief Justice was very much like Chan Sek Keong the man – humble, unassuming, with a powerful intellect and a keen sense of integrity.

Outside of the courtroom, Chief Justice Chan demanded that lawyers meet the highest standards of professional conduct, and took decisive measures to safeguard clients’ monies from errant lawyers. He constantly encouraged the legal fraternity, from Senior Counsel to law student, to do more pro bono work, to improve access to justice for the less fortunate amongst us.

He started the Young Amicus Curiae scheme where young lawyers could assist Judges hearing Magistrate’s Appeals, and expose themselves to criminal work.

He stressed the need for top- tier advocacy in commercial cases. He observed that top Senior Counsel were often retained by large institutions, rendering them unable or unavailable to act against such institutions. The result was that small law firms and individual clients who wanted representation against large institutions could not instruct Senior Counsel. He thus advocated that Queen’s Counsel be allowed to appear more freely in our courts, so that small law firms and individual clients can instruct them.

As a judge, Chief Justice believed that “judgments should be expressed in a language that a reasonably educated layman can understand”, and indeed his judgments stand out for their clarity and simple elegance.

He believed in procedural fairness, that “litigants must come away from the court with the feeling that even though they lost, they have had their day in court and have been heard”.

He believed that the function of judges was to interpret and to apply the law, and not to legislate or make policy in the guise of adjudication. In that sense, he was a legal positivist.

At the same time, he believed that judges had a role in developing the law interstitially, consonant with national values and fundamental principles of the common law.

To promote the practice development of Singapore law, he issued a Practice Direction that Singapore cases should be cited in preference to foreign cases. In the course of his judicial career, he wrote almost 380 judgments, or more than 30 a year. His judgments, which span many areas of the law, will continue to influence our jurisprudence for many years to come.

He believed in justice for the common man. Above all, the Chief Justice was a firm believer in the rule of law and the duty of the court to uphold the law. In a lecture in 2010, he offered a robust rebuke to those who doubted the independence of the Judiciary.

When the boy from Ipoh came to Singapore to study, settle down and start a career in the law, it was Singapore which ultimately benefited.

Any legal professional that has sat by and watched the lack of the above, is a ‘boy’ . . . Ipoh or wherever from . . . not a MAN who challenges the APARTHEID OF BUMIPUTRA for the mere right to equality. Any Malaysian who RAN AWAY from Malaysia to Singapore, and not spoken a word against apartheid despite reaching such high status is a very cynical person, especially when no-longer holding posts or active in government.

‘While still at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), he was frequently asked about the Internal Security Act (ISA) — a law that enables the government to detain people without trial. The issue also recently grabbed headlines when the Catholic Archbishop of Singapore retracted a letter of support he sent to activist group Function 8, when it organised an event earlier this year calling for its abolition. Asked for his views on more controversial detentions in Singapore’s history, including Operation Coldstore in 1963 and Operation Spectrum in 1987, he felt it inappropriate to offer comment on specific incidents in the past because he was not privy to the specific security considerations applicable to them. With clearer knowledge of the situation between 2008 and 2011, however, Shanmugam is certain of the overarching rationale for the Act in the current international security environment — that ultimately it acts as a preventive measure where security threats are discovered on classified intelligence.

With the days of mass, high-profile detentions a thing of the past, though, whether the law should stay or not, he feels, all boils down to the evaluation of which of two risks Singapore is more prepared to take. “(The ISA) gives the power to the government to detain people without going through the due process of the courts. Once you have such a structure, is there a possibility of abuse? Of course… so that’s the risk,” he acknowledged. However, he pointed out, “Society has got to decide between that risk, or the risk that an incident might actually occur, and then you have to ask yourself, ‘What are the consequences of each of the two risks materialising? What is the impact on Singapore?’ and then people have to choose.” Shanmugam explained that where Singapore lacks in natural resources, it makes up for in a clean ecosystem that is friendly to businesses.’

Propagandist Indian raised into high stature, now here supporting draconian laws, and know that Shanmugam is present only for token multiracialism. Singapore is not friendly to business, but only acts as a money laundering front and military base of sorts centered around a CIVILIAN JUNTA around the nepotistic Lee family . . .

How can he compare to our wealthy, hollywood handsome pedigree and powerful Minister Nazari. Even Nazari son can afford to wear a million dollar watch. Can this S’porean(ex M’sian) CJ do likewise.

Aiyah, our Minister Nazari is 1st class conman – con his own people and also con everybody that there is nothing wrong in $40 million fiasco involving Michael Chia & Musa. By the way, sorry lah people like Justice Chan is not wanted by Malaysia. Smart people in Malaysia is a liability. They complain too much about UMNO’s brand of government. Too many smart people, where to cari makan.

Sunday, 18 November 2012 20:52 posted by Oran Utan

You guys still don’t get it do you? For UMNO this is all about Ketuanan Melayu, it is never about Meritocracy. And some you you hit a nail in the coffin, with his type of resume he will never get a job in Bolehland.

Talent corp is wasting taxpayers money and time, how do you expect to attract Malaysian Talents back and retain them when you cannot guarantee a future for these talents. Meritocracy, performance and opportunity for promotions and business opportunities are one of the main key criteria to stay back in Ketuanan Melayu land. So UMNO don’t take us for a ride with your Talent Corp bullshit. All I can see is that Talent Corp is another gimmick to siphon Taxpayers money.

Sunday, 18 November 2012 10:58 posted by Ibrahim

He acted firmly and in the public interest. ..

An excellent tribute. In Malaysia, if we can get 10% of the qualities mentioned in this tribute, we would be honored. Esp. When that Mamak who is really a Syaitan, tore the independence, professionalism & integrity of the Malaysian Judiciary to pieces.

Now we have only a Judiciary and AG Chambers completely compromised and without any more conscience esp. when Dealing with dissent and opposition to UMNO.

Following a public uproar to the widespread crackdown on two pro-democracy rallies held by electoral reform movement Bersih 2.0, Najib has taken great pains to improve civil liberties in Malaysia. — File pic
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 18 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak signed ASEAN’s first human rights declaration (AHRD) in Cambodia today, officially committing Malaysia to its first foreign convention to promote fair treatment of every individual irrespective of race, religion and political opinion.

Today’s signing, which took place during the 21st ASEAN Summit at the Peace Palace in the capital city of Phnom Penh, comes at an opportune time for Malaysia and the Barisan Nasional (BN) government led by Najib, which has come under close international scrutiny for its alleged mishandling of several recent human rights issues.

“ASEAN shall pursue the protection and promotion of human rights in the region in our own way and also try to maintain the highest standard as expressed in various declarations and instruments of the international community,” ASEAN secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan was quoted as saying in The Star Online.

According to media reports, the AHRD has a total of 40 clauses and covers areas like civil and political rights, economic, social ad cultural rights, developmental processes and peace enhancement.

The declaration also states that the rights of women, children, elderly and disabled persons and migrant workers are integral and indivisible part of human rights and fundamental freedom, The Star reported.

Najib has found himself in the international spotlight on numerous occasions, taking the hit for his administration’s alleged heavy-handedness in dealing with matters concerning civil freedom, individual rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association.

Some key examples include the widespread crackdown on two pro-democracy rallies held by electoral reform movement Bersih 2.0 — one on July 9, 2011, and another on April 28 this year — which resulted in scene of chaos and violence on the streets of this usually peaceful capital city.

To dull the uproar, however, Najib has taken great pains to improve civil liberties in Malaysia, even agreeing to repeal the controversial Internal Security Act (ISA) and the Sedition Act, enacting a new law to regulate public gatherings, agreeing to allow student participation in politics and relaxing provisions in laws governing press freedom.

But after the last protest on April 28, foreign media reports predicted that the government’s handling of the event would likely undermine Najib’s image as a reformist and force the prime minister to delay the next general election.

Several newswires, picked up by major newspapers globally, also took the same stance, with Reuters reporting that police action raised “the risk of a political backlash that could delay national polls which had been expected as early as June.”

Agence France-Presse also said that “the rally poses a dilemma for Najib, who since last year’s crackdown has sought to portray himself as a reformer, launching a campaign to repeal authoritarian laws in a bid to create what he called ‘the greatest democracy’.”

Several reports pointed to the first Bersih rally held just months before the March 2008 elections, which saw BN record its worst electoral performance ever, ceding its customary two-thirds supermajority in Parliament and five state governments.

Najib took over from Tun Abdullah Badawi a year later, ostensibly to improve on the results and some observers say only a return to two-thirds majority will guarantee he remains Umno president.

Widespread condemnation from the international press of Putrajaya’s crack down on last July’s Bersih rally saw Najib announce a raft of reforms including a parliamentary select committee on electoral reforms and the Peaceful Assembly Act, a major concession to win back an alienated middle-class.

But the findings of a bipartisan panel have been criticised as cosmetic by civil society and the opposition and yesterday’s planned sit-in was the first major test of the new law regulating demonstrations the BN chief says abides by “international norms”.

The foreign press had at the time also widely carried global civil liberties watchdog Human Rights Watch’s criticism of the government, saying it showed “contempt for its people’s basic rights and freedoms.”

“Despite all the talk of ‘reform’ over the past year, we’re seeing a repeat of repressive actions by a government that does not hesitate to use force when it feels its prerogatives are challenged,” said Phil Robertson, its deputy Asia director.

Apart from Bersih, the BN administration has also earned itself international condemnation for bringing charges of sexual misconduct and sodomy against Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim numerous occasions, a move that the leader’s supporters have claimed was merely to stifle his campaign to topple the ruling pact.

Several cases of deaths in custody over the past few years had also cast the government in the spotlight for alleged human rights abuses. One example is the death of DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock, whose death, which occurred while he was under the care of anti-graft officials, has continued to haunt the government since 2009.

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But the Bar Council gets no flak eh? The Bar Council needs to hammer BN too, even sue BN for APARTHEID and lack of :

Najib alone cannot be blamed but is definitely complicit. If all other agencies did their work, Najib would be out of work. UN needs to address the bunch of racists affecting Najib’s judgment. Signing this does not change the above 3 lacks. Bar Council being so supposedly educated and ‘legal’ can see this. Act yet? Or still waiting for moi to sue the Malaysian Government?

(TMI) — Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang appeared today to admit that PAS may never entirely abandon its plans to impose hudud for Muslims and had only softened its approach on the matter as the Islamist party knew it could not rule without its non-Muslim allies in Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

But the PAS president offered his word that if implemented, the controversial Islamic penal code would not be imposed on the non-Muslims, shooting down a suggestion yesterday by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“And the rights of non-Muslims are allowed by their own religion … for example, liquor is allowed by their religion … although it is haram in Islam, it is still their right.”

Dr Mahathir had stepped into the hudud fray yesterday, challenging the party to implement hudud for all, including the non-Muslims, in order to be fair.

During the stretch of the party’s annual meet this weekend, the PAS leadership seemed to deliberately dodge the issue of hudud and the party’s Islamic state ideals, moving instead to appear more inclusive with slogans that advocate religious tolerance and acceptance.

But the party’s religious conservatives in the ulama wing and youth members insisted on raising the controversial issue, which has put a strain on PAS’ ties with PR ally DAP.

In his policy speech at the opening of the muktamar, Abdul Hadi focussed on PAS’ plans to improve Malaysia’s economy should PR come to power and skirted around hudud and the implementation of the Islamic state.

But the veteran politician could not avoid the matter today, after PAS continued to find itself the target of critics who complained of the party’s apparent failure to stick to its ideals.

He would not expressly state if PAS would push ahead with its hudud agenda but appeared to suggest that the matter had to be shelved for the sake of its non-Muslim partners in PR.

“We want to rule a country, if it’s just PAS, then it will be impossible (for us) to rule,” he told reporters.

The Marang MP’s remarks today will likely draw more criticism from PAS’ political foes who have often accused the party of straying from its Islamic ideals and bowing down to its allies for the sake of wresting federal power.

PAS also reiterated today that there is no friction between the party and DAP, with which they have gone into collision course on issues such as Islamic state and hudud.

“Don’t equate them disagreeing over hudud, with them rejecting (Islam). It is not the same.”

Abdul Hadi’s statements came after PAS’s religious wing continued to reaffirm its stand on hudud, insisting that it should be implemented if the party wins a significant majority in the next election.

“So far, hudud is still relevant,” said Datuk Dr Mahfodz Mohamad, the Deputy Chief of PAS Ulama wing during the closing speech at the muktamar.

“We will implement hudud in a democratic system if we win a lot of seats. It is not impossible that hudud can be implemented in Malaysia.”

Mahfodz reminded the PAS leadership that they should not forget Islam and hudud while they fight through the next campaign stage to reach Putrajaya.

“A ‘benevolent state’ must be based on the Quran, sunnah and ijtihad … not the -isms which contradict Islam,” he added.

This remark followed the information chief for the women’s wing, Aiman Athirah’s call for delegates to work harder so that PAS can lead Pakatan Rakyat (PR), and for President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang to be elected as the prime minister if the party wins in the next election.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Dials? Whats that an NLP ‘trigger word’, code? Anyway, good to hear that Hudud might not be summarily imposed on Malaysians BUT . . .

Hadi may want to consider if Muslims will be allowed Article 18 of the UN Human Rights Charter rights to Apostasy, and the Non-Muslims will be allowed EQUALITY in all aspects of Law and Constitution, and also for non-Muslims to have RLD and Gambling districts in suitable places in state capitals of appropriate size AS WELL as OPZs (Organic Psychedelic Zones) like Amsterdam has. There are SERIOUS gaps in Hadi’s address and acceptance of PMship, which while tolerable if the above issues are made clear, cannot precede PAS taking up the mantle of the ruling party much less neglect Orang Asli stolen land issues as well as forced conversions of non-Muslims, continuation of Bumiputra Aparthied (perhaps INCLUDE all non-Malays and non-Muslims of a certain wealth level who are willing to apply BUT under no sneak conversion tactics or attempts at proselytization) etc..

Conversely Bumiputra Apartheid could be ended entirely, millions worth Bumi should not get any discounts or special privileges at all, while the poor non-Muslim and non-Malays in fact should. This is a money issue and to ignore politics of non-Muslim rights and equality, this becomes a display of PAS’s inward lookingness and sheer neglect of common sense and civilisation that a PM of any country needs. No problem if Hadi is made PM, but not without address of the above which are innate rights of ALL MANKIND and neglected for oppressive purposes for decades in Malaysia. Malaysia is a single country within the nations of a world, and not a very large or powerful country, needs to address issues as above.

To show he meant business, PAS Youth chief Nasrudin Hasan yesterday laid bare his personal assets during the winding down speech at the wing’s muktamar.

Nasrudin, 42, declared that he and his wife, a teacher, both draw an income of RM2,800 and RM4,000 respectively.

He also declared that he had RM9,000 in his bank account.

Out of his monthly RM2,800 income, RM2,500 is allowance from the party for his duties as PAS Youth chief while RM300 is rental income.

The father of six also tabled the breakdown of his monthly expenses comprising of a home loan at RM530 and his vehicle for which he pays RM1,400 monthly.

“Meanwhile my wife is paying loan for her own house at RM1,230 a month. These are the assets I am declaring, that I owned, as a gimmick for the assets declaration proposal, insha Allah that will be followed by all PAS Youth exco members,” he said.

PAS Youth had earlier announced that its executive council members including those not contesting in the coming general election would have to declare their assets.

During the opening of PAS Youth’s general meeting, party deputy president Mohamad Sabu gave his commitment to turn the proposal into a reality, but reminded that assets declaration must also be made at the end of one’s office term.

-Harakahdaily

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Don’t do the Rakyat no favours. Declaring assets is NOTHING AT ALL. Try ending apartheid or extreme religion and even distributing land or housing to the poor OF ALL RACES. Assets only? Big deal? At end of term? WORSE deal. Hiding ‘abit’ is hiding all the same. Why not declare NOW instead of months away so that ‘assets’ can be hidden by then? Who cares if assets are declared AFTER the term? BEFORE the term starts would be meaningful for asset declarations, but ONLY AFTER terms end? Cynical and obviously stalling for time.

ARTICLE 6

Possibly inaccurate but will post to see if any response that can clarify . . .

Theory? Or Truth?

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My theory based guess is that drugs are in fact USED by politicians to astrally project so that they can peek in on others and gain advantage against them, if not illegal cams have been installed everywhere already. Look at the colours the podium speaker is wearing here, Rasta colours. Who knows those with minds too strong will be targeted by GOVERNMENT, or political drug users, which possibly are typical of ALL so-called or organized religions. The hierarchy of religions could well be based around drug taking and hence the desire to illegalise drugs so that the will of the world becomes that of their narrow limited and religious biased one. Perhaps these are not religious men, perhaps these are ADDICTS intent on religious and political control using drugs as a weapon of choice. Please feel free to discuss if the premise is off, or warn to remove if considered offensive – suggestions of a more suitable repost will be appreciated if needed.

A GROUP of transvestites in revealing outfits was detained by religious authorities for trying to offer sexual services.

Sinar Harian reported that they were spotted waiting for customers in Pandan Indah, Kuala Lumpur.

The six transvestites ran helter-skelter when they saw an enforcement team from the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais) and officers from the Al-Azim mosque making their rounds at 5am on Thursday.

It was learnt the transvestites charged as low as RM50.

Al-Azim mosque officer Ahmad Nawi Osman said some of the transvestites suffered light injuries when they fell while running up a flight of stairs.

“All of them, aged between 20 and 38, were arrested,” he said, adding that one transvestite disclosed that it was difficult to find work and gain acceptance in society, causing him to resort to such a job.

> Kosmo! reported that the body of a missing two-year-old boy had been found. The body was believed to have been partly eaten by a monitor lizard.

Hadziq Hassan, missing since last Saturday, was found in Segaliud, Sandakan, on Wednesday night.

A surveyor, who was working in the area, made the discovery.

The boy was reported missing at Batu 25, Kampung Garinono after he and his family attended a relative’s wedding in Kampung Manis.

His body was found about 3km from the relative’s house.

Sandakan OCPD Asst Comm Rowell Marong said the body was identified by his family and was sent to the Duchess of Kent Hospital for an autopsy.

> A total of 26 foreign women, including four underaged girls, were detained by the Negri Sembilan Immigration Department for allegedly working as guest relations officers, reported Harian Metro.

The four Vietnamese girls, aged between 14 and 16, were believed to have been tricked into taking up the job at an entertainment centre in Seremban.

State immigration director Faizal Fazri Othman said three of the four girls entered the country using a visitor’s pass while the other girl used a student pass.

Other News & Views is compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with this > sign, it denotes a separate news item.

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Adult services are a human right of non-Muslims and if these transpersons were not Muslim, they should be left alone at least while legal action to ensure proper zones are assigned for such activities for non-Muslims. Luck? These are human rights abuses.

However, he acknowledged that Nik Aziz had been advised by his doctor to go for a check-up every day to treat a “prostate problem”.

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A potential core elite of statesmen, at least in ensuring of separation of powers. Karpal unfortunately represents endemic nepotism and limitless terms as well. Hence Sallehuddin and Datuk Mahfuz Omar have become that much more statesmanlike (do these exceptions stand AGAINST Hudud?) If so, we might be looking at future PMs . . . ) than Karpal, even if the above suggestion which came from moi, was taken up by Karpal. TERM LIMITS and NO FAMILY BLOCS ‘KARPAL’. Any ‘Karipap’ (or Al-Karipap? Karpal . . . ) seller could run for election and win, simply by democratic considerations against nepotism and limitless terms of Karpal and sons. This is GOVERNMENT not a family business.

The Malaysian police know I live in Manchester. Malaysians in the UK know I live in Manchester. Malaysians in Australia, New Zealand, the US, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, etc., know I live in Manchester. The Malaysian High Commission in London and the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur know I live in Manchester. Only Victor Lim alone thinks I live in Dr Mahathir’s apartment in London. He knows that but he does not know what the address is or whether Dr Mahathir really does own an apartment in London.

The most valuable part of a democratic and pluralistic society is the right to choose. Everyone can choose to support anything they think is right.

The United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong) rally scheduled on November 25 with the objective to pressure the government is a choice of struggle. The United Chinese School Teachers Association (Jiao Zong) and the Federation of Chinese Associations of Malaysia (Hua Zong) have the right not to participate and choose to correct the unreasonable content in the National Education Blueprint preliminary report through communication and follow-up.

Similar to anti-environment movements, some people chose to take part in the 300km Kuantan-KL Green Walk. Their persistence and perseverance has won respect and admiration.

In politics, people also have the right to choose whether to change the government, strengthen the two-party-system or maintain the status quo.

Changing the government is an ideal and it can hardly become a reality if only a small number of people are supporting it. Therefore, the ruling and alternative coalitions must convey their political programmes and policies to the public through various platforms, including mass assemblies and annual general assemblies to fight for more support.

To me, the Pakatan Rakyat’s performance has not yet reached my personal demand. However, as I believe that democracy requires checks and balances, I support the two-party system. If the majority supports the two-party system, it is possible to bring a major change.

In a democratic country, everyone has the right to choose based on his/her own judgement and cognitive thinking. Therefore, it is not necessary for others to be so nervous or intimidate them into changing their stand.

Many people are confused about the meaning of democracy due to the intense political struggle. Some people are excessively fanatical to the extent of slandering and labelling those who have made a different choice.

French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher Voltaire said, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

Who can still remember the words? Many people have instead lost their magnanimity and tolerance and attack whoever say something unpleasant. Democracy should never be like this.

All people make mistakes, regardless of how just they claimed themselves are. Calling themselves just does not mean that they cannot be criticised and corrected.

The BN has indeed made many mistakes and there is much room for improvement. Similarly, the Pakatan Rakyat state governments also have many inadequacies in governance. Being overly emotional has caused everyone unable to see the reality clearly.

Back to the Dong Zong rally, it is a peaceful civil demonstration and it is not necessary to label it as an “anti-government” movement. Adopting the path of dialogue to fight is not “heinous crime” either. Why can’t the Chinese organisations work together to achieve the same goal since all of them are serving the Chinese community? Without tolerance and the sense of balance, it could end up following the path of politics, namely people categorise those who are not called friends as enemies.

Most Chinese affairs are of voluntary or conscience nature. If it evolves into a life-and-death game, the Chinese community will first collapse before the winner of the political game is decided.

Life was boring and monotonic in the past when people were not granted the right to choose. It is good to have choice. But choices also bring us confusion and distress.

As the general election is approaching, people become more and more impetuous. We must first calm down to avoid being diverted by “choices”.

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The day Najib outfoxed all Malaysians…

Victor Lim, Free Malaysia Today

Now, wasn’t it Daim who predicted that five states would fall prior to the 2008 political tsunami? And it was correct – Kedah, Penang, Perak, Selangor and Kelantan.

And who and where this prediction was first publicised? Raja Petra Kamarudin’s (RPK’s) Malaysia-Today (MT) news portal.

Malaysians who have been following RPK’s writings were shocked, when after the 2008 general election, he began associating himself with Mahathir – meeting his sifu (master) in his Petronas twin-tower office.

Many could not understand or believe how RPK, who was so vocal against BN-Umno and one of the pioneers of the Free Anwar Reformasi Movement, could make such an about turn.

Many MT readers are still puzzled and cannot believe what was happening and why RPK’s writings started to slant towards Umno.

However, RPK’s slant is now cautiously back to the Opposition, championing the need to change? What’s going on? Simple! The cyber mercenary writer is financially backed by Mahathir and Daim.

In 2008, Mahathir and Daim’s common political pest was Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. So, RPK’s mission was to destabilise and erode support for Umno and Abdullah. It worked wonderfully, and as they say, the rest is history.

Now, Mahathir and Daim’s common political enemy is Najib. And do you now see the similar strategic political attacks from Mahathir and RPK?

If you still don’t believe that Mahathir and Daim are RPK’s sponsors, then you give me the answers to the following questions:

* RPK was the one who came up with the damning statutory declaration that implicated Najib and his wife, Rosmah, in the murder of Mongolian interpreter Altantuya Shaariibuu and the link to the Scorpene submarines’ graft allegations. Why?

* RPK was picked up by police and then charged. But after he was released on bail, how the hell did such a high profile political figure leave the country undetected?

* Who had the power and influence to facilitate his (RPK’s) migration? This was what I posted about RPK on Sept 10, 2012.

Talk is spreading like wild fire in Malaysia that the famous or infamous cyber operator, depending on which side of the political divide you stand, Raja Petra Kamaruddin, or more popularly referred to as RPK, is residing in an apartment in London belonging to the racist former prime minister Mahathir Mohamed.

RPK can feel free to clarify or attack me as we believe in freedom of speech and democracy, don’t we?

********************************************

When the issue favours the Chinese cause, they will scream democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of choice, the right to choose, agree to disagree, and so on. However, if it does not favour the Chinese cause, they will scream you are a turncoat, traitor, Trojan horse, frog, mole, you have been bought, and much more.

That is the ugly side of the Chinese. Freedom means freedom to agree with me, not freedom to disagree with me.

To people like Victor Lim, if you say or write anything that is perceived as pro-government, then this means you have been paid to do so. What about those who say or write something perceived as pro-opposition? Does this not also mean you have been paid to do so?

No! It does not. That just means you are noble. Those who support the opposition are noble. And if you do not support the opposition that can only mean one thing — you support the government. It is like religion. Either you are a Muslim or you are a Christian. And if you are not a Christian then you must surely be a Muslim. That is the only logical explanation.

To Victor Lim, your very action of not supporting the opposition is ‘evidence’ you have been paid. Using that same yardstick as ‘proof of guilt’, we will have to assume that Victor Lim is also a paid writer and his master must surely be Tian Chua. Can we, therefore, accept whatever Victor Lim says as the truth? Paid writers like Victor Lim would definitely lie through their teeth.

Victor Lim says he believes in democracy and freedom of speech. But when I exercise my democratic right of freedom of speech he vilifies me. The Malays call this bikin tak serupa cakap. Is this a Chinese cultural thing or what? Is this the best the so-called 5,000 years of Chinese ‘civilisation’ can produce? You appear puzzled as to why very few Malays trust the Chinese. Well, that’s because the Malays know that bikin tak serupa cakap type of people just cannot be trusted.

Probably 50 or more Malaysians have come to my house in Manchester, many of them Malaysians from Malaysia. Tan Sri Sanusi Junid, Zaid Ibrahim, Mat Sabu, Saari Sungib, and many more have all been to my house — some even spent the night at my house.

There are many more Malaysians from London, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Leicester, Nottingham, Reading, Scotland — in fact, from almost every city in the UK — who have visited me in Manchester. Yet Victor Lim says: Raja Petra Kamaruddin, or more popularly referred to as RPK, is residing in an apartment in London belonging to the racist former prime minister Mahathir Mohamed.

And he can’t even get the spelling of my name right. It is Raja Petra Kamarudin and not Raja Petra Kamaruddin. And what Free Anwar Reformasi Movement is Victor Lim talking about? Clearly Victor Lim tembak only. There is so such movement called Free Anwar Reformasi Movement. This is a fabrication by Victor Lim.

Anyway, what is the address of Dr Mahathir’s apartment? Does Dr Mahathir even own an apartment in London in the first place? And when did I move in to that apartment?

So you see, Victor Lim is bullshitting because I have never lived in London (at least not since 1956), never mind in whose apartment in London. I have been living in Manchester since the day I arrived. In fact, my family has been living in Manchester for 11 years now, since 2001, eight years before I came over.

The Malaysian police know I live in Manchester. Malaysians in the UK know I live in Manchester. Malaysians in Australia, New Zealand, the US, China, Singapore, Hong Kong, etc., know I live in Manchester. The Malaysian High Commission in London and the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur know I live in Manchester. Only Victor Lim alone thinks I live in Dr Mahathir’s apartment in London. He knows that but he does not know what the address is or whether Dr Mahathir really does own an apartment in London.

Can you see how they lie? And to these types of people lying comes under the category of freedom of speech. But if you were to reply to that lie, that is not considered freedom of speech. Freedom of speech means they can say things about you but you can’t say things about them.

Budaya apa ni? Budaya 5,000 years of Chinese civilisation ke?

Victor Lim also said: Malaysians who have been following RPK’s writings were shocked, when after the 2008 general election, he began associating himself with Mahathir – meeting his sifu (master) in his Petronas twin-tower office.

In fact, in the 2006 PKR annual general assembly in Penang, Azmin Ali whacked me in his speech. And Anwar Ibrahim sat there on stage smirking like the cat that had swallowed the canary as Azmin Ali whacked me for ‘bersekongkong dengan Dr Mahathir Mohamed’.

Hence, if you want to accuse me of ‘collaborating’ with Dr Mahathir then this collaboration started more than six years ago and two years before the 2008 general election. And if I had collaborated with Dr Mahathir more than six years ago and two years before the 2008 general election, how can I be a turncoat? A turncoat is someone who changes sides. I never changed sides after the 2008 general election. I have been with Dr Mahathir since two years BEFORE the 2008 general election.

And do you know what? Many PAS and DAP leaders — and many of them top leaders at that, too — also attended that 24th June 2006 dialogue with Dr Mahathir. Even the ex-PKR Deputy President turned up. So what have you got to say about all those PAS, DAP and PKR leaders who attended that dialogue with Dr Mahathir organised by Malaysia Today at the Kelab Century Paradise on 24th June 2006?

In the Kota Bharu dialogue the following month, the Kelantan Menteri Besar, Tok Guru Nik Aziz Nik Mat, attended the session and shared the stage with Dr Mahathir. He also attended the dinner in honour of Dr Mahathir that same night. Nik Aziz felt he needed to play host to the ex-Prime Minister since he (Nik Aziz) is, after, all the Menteri Besar of Kelantan.

Maybe the Pakatan Rakyat supporters should learn how to tell the truth for once. You accuse Utusan Malaysia, Berita Harian, NST, The Star, TV3, RTM, etc. of lying. But what difference are the opposition supporters? You are as blatant in your lying as the people you accuse of lying.

And why do you not respond, point-by-point, to the issues I have raised? I have been raising many issues since the mid-1990s — ever since I first started writing for Harakah in 1997 and I first launched my own website in 1994. What I am saying now is what I have been saying for the last 18 years. What am I saying now that I did not say back in the 1990s?

If I am wrong then rebut me with what you think is the truth. But you don’t do that. Instead of replying, you just hurl allegations against me and totally ignore what I say. And the only ‘rebuttal’ thus far is just a plain denial. Denial is no defence. If it is then Najib Tun Razak never met Altantuya Shaariibuu since he has denied meeting her.

In short, you know what I say is correct and you know there is no way you can rebut what I say. Hence you ignore what I say and do not reply to it and instead make all sorts of allegations, which are very far from the truth.

This is just like those Umno blogs that say I live in London and that one day I was so drunk I fell into a monsoon drain. Many kampong-minded Umno supporters who have never been to London and do not know that the UK does not have a monsoon season and London does not have monsoon drains will, of course, believe this story.

These opposition diehards are just the reverse of the same coin called Umno. They are all cut from the same cloth. Their doctrine is: you are free to agree with me but God help you if you say something that I don’t like.

Oh, by the way, take a look at the picture below. Today, some people in PAS are saying that they want Tok Guru Abdul Hadi Awang instead of Anwar Ibrahim to be the Prime Minister of Malaysia if Pakatan Rakyat wins the next general election. I already ‘said’ this four years ago. And if you can’t interpret what that picture means then you are dumber than I thought.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

i) No! It does not. That just means you are noble. Those who support the opposition are noble. And if you do not support the opposition that can only mean one thing — you support the government. It is like religion. Either you are a Muslim or you are a Christian. And if you are not a Christian then you must surely be a Muslim. That is the only logical explanation.

Noble?!? Seeing Pakatan’s 90% failed manifesto lies and ethical or democratic (nepotistic) flaws for what DAP is, is noble. To praise those who support Pakatan as noble – is not noble.

ii) And if you do not support the opposition that can only mean one thing — you support the government.

Inculpating hegelian dialectic thought still eh? Either or? How about ‘none of the above’? Better yet, how about ‘make your own option’ or make your own political party or run for candidacy as an independent candidate. RPK is not a democratic man, and spins propaganda that kills freedom of thought as well as skews facts. Pakatan is a failure as bad as BN. The 3rd Force indies among citizens could likely be better than eithetr BN or PR, so please don;t try to make lies into truth. Money cannot buy breeding as much as breeding cannot buy HONESTY and ETHICS which are prerequisite to the status of NOBILITY. If for love the people RPK, or love for democracy, this sort of article will never appear on media. The readers should know what RPK represents by now.

iii) The ugly side of the Chinese

Apartheid and racism directed at any race, will bring out the very worst of any race. Who threw the first blow here? Not the Chinese. Look in the mirror and decide if racism or apartheid is what reflects . . . Enuff said.

Looks like the Constitutional Lawsuit needs to be carried out by unknowns, to ensure :

Does power always rely on threat? Why is fair mindedness so elusive to some sorry souls?

Man seeks equality and fair treatment, but threats of murder and nasty tricks (like cement pools for the love of semen rather than EQUALITY) are the signs of mental illness and techno-fascism. Fight fair and find that some low minded dhimmitudisation a certain race holds to, have no part of Humanity’s future much like apes who did not use fire, or understand that the Human Rights Charter is not something a country signs for fun, nor being a Muslim allows for such blatant displays of ill meaning natures, bronze souls do not belong in the arena of words (and will be treated to what they deserve) and those with so much who want to take even more from even equality, that will threaten for mere monetary gain, need to talk to the clerics at Al-Azhar University, search their souls at their so-called Kabaa of Islam before threatening people with death which will never be on the side of the unjust and profane . . . are we to understand that there is no religion and only politics and murder in Malaysia and a certain coalition, much less at very least ethics? Everything these UMNO or BN people have today is from the idiotic voting choice of the taxpayers and now these guys dare threaten the 99% who made them? Disappointing.

Let me start by asking you these questions. Does Islam encourage you to devastate the forests? Does Islam encourage you to wipe out your wildlife? Does Islam encourage you to fuck up minority communities (e.g. the Orang Asli)? Does Islam encourage you to venture into business without knowing head or tail of that business? Does Islam encourage you to repeat your mistakes, year in, year out for 20 years? Does Islam encourage you to close your eyes to the rape of your land?

The answer is obvious. Of course, Islam DOES NOT encourage you to do all these things. But I think the Kelantan MB Nik Aziz and his merrymen from PAS have a different understanding than the rest of us.

I first visited Lojing Highlands, Kelantan was in 1991. Nik Aziz was already the MB of Kelantan then. The area was a mess. Vast tracts of forest were being cleared to make way for agriculture. And these were pristine highland forests at elevations ranging from 500m – 1500m. Tens of thousands of hectares were given away to State government linked companies as well as friendly parties to develop highland agriculture.

The state government mantra then was “if the farmers in Cameron Highlands can do it, so can we”. The geniuses in Kelantan at that time thought they could replicate Cameron Highlands which at that time had a total 2000 hectares of agriculture land. They thought if 2000 hectares in CH can produce RM x million revenue, then opening 20,000 hectares in Lojing will produce RM 10x million.

They forgot something very important. The farmers in Cameron Highlands have had 50 years of farming experience in the highlands. Their farms were small, averaging 1 – 2 hectares. They were individual farmers who slogged their butts off for managing even a 2-hectare farm in the mountains was a major undertaking. No sane person will open up thousands of hectares in the highlands to do farming.

I returned to Lojing several times since. 1994, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2007 and 2011. Nothing has changed. Highland forests are continuously being opened up on large scale (obviously the geniuses in Kelantan have not learnt anything about highlands agriculture). Obviously, some people are making tonnes of money from the timber that is being ripped off from the so-called “agriculture land”. The rivers have silted up. Wildlife has disappeared. The Orang Asli communities are worse off than they were 20 years ago.

Hills being ripped off for so-called “agriculture”

Free teh tarik anyone? The once pristine Sg. Brooke and Sg. Belatop are now just mud flows.

Logging is still widespread in Lojing. This is despite the national policy prohibiting logging at elevations above 1000m.

This is where teh tarik comes from. Land opened up for “agriculture” with almost no erosion control measures.

Most of the agriculture development in Lojing have failed. The companies benefitted from selling of the timber from the thousands of hectares of land given to them. The 1000-hectares Yakin tea plantation has been abandoned (yo, you dungus in Nik Aziz’s office – just because Boh can manage a tea plantation, does not mean that you also can. Boh is in that business. You are not. You just plundered that 1000 hectares). PKINK was given over 1000 hectare for orchards and agro-tourism – sampai sekarang habuk pun tak ade.Kayu balak dah lesap.

Land ownership in Lojing Highlands. I am sorry if you can’t read the map. Almost 30,000 hectares have been given away to state-linked companies and state agencies and friendly companies over the past 20 years. Almost zero productivity expect for the timber that has been taken away. Mind you these are all highland country with mostly steep slopes.

A few Chinese farmers from Cameron Highlands who leased small areas from Kelantan state government linked companies are doing pretty well. Other than that, agriculture output from Lojing is minimal – despite it being more than 20 years since Nik Aziz and his merrymen opened and devastated Lojing. None of the state government linked companies and state agencies have produced anything substantial despite wiping out over 20,000 hectares of pristine highland forests Nothing. Kosong. Telor ayam. In every aspect, Lojing has been a disaster.

The environmental cost must be epic. The amount of erosion and sedimentation from Lojing must run into the hundreds of millions of tonnes over the past 20 years. The once gorgeous Sg. Brooke and its tributaries are now nothing but mud flows. An area that was rich in wildlife is now pretty pathetic. Great damage was inflicted onto the Orang Asli communities in Pos Brooke, Pos Hendrop and Pos Blau. All their water sources were destroyed. The forests that they depended for food and other produce were devastated. The orang asli traditional land were given to outsiders or usurped by state agencies.

If you think I am lying, I suggest you take a drive to Lojing. It is just an hour or less from Cameron Highlands. See the damages for yourself. The rape has been going on continuously for more than 20 years.

I would like to end my story by asking Nik Aziz this “Is this Islamic?”

I counted 300 timber trucks on the Gua Musang road coming out of the Lojing area nearly 15 years ago. Still have the photographs….
Little point in condemning the decisions/actions that have lead to the present dire consequences. Perhaps we ought to consider instead how & what can be done to heal the Lojing scar of our apolitical MotherEarth in some truly creative ways.
November 11, 2012 10:05 AM
@CK said…

the way Kelantan is administered is an insult to Islam. Kelantan is now the poorest state in Malaysia, has the highest rape, incest and HIV cases. All the smart Kelantanese have left the state.
November 11, 2012 6:24 PM
@Lisa said…

Everybody did it. When I fly in Europe and look down on the landscape, there is not a single, not a single piece of land undeveloped. Not a single small hill. You can take off from Amsterdam and land in The Prague and you will not find it. I’ve been through this frustration on seeing how our land has been bled since the 90s and cried and wrote to newspapers, but I must say, and I’m sorry but it was pointless.
November 12, 2012 9:11 AM

@Cat-from-Sydney said…

Your Royal Monyetness,
We have visited this place many times and still cry when we see the scars on Mother Earth. Will be there again next week, hopefully with better results as cooperation from the natives is quite difficult to obtain. purrrr….meow!
November 12, 2012 9:17 AM

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Rivers should have a 1km ‘off limits’ buffer or green lung. Water tables perhaps a minimum of 10km worth. As for cultivation or farming, micromanagement is reliant on the ‘energy’ of individuals, so mass produced versions will never have the same quality, or as the article suggests will fail entirely or at least take longer than usual. A farmer of tea has ‘tea energy’, city people without any energy but city energy will not be able to grow anything, and MUST start from microscale (heck some can’t even tend garden) before ‘managing’ massive plantations. Farm conglomerates might possibly be impossible from land alone, the heart and interest of the person MUST be there, or all cultivation will not be comparable. This must also be considered against environment and the spiritual nature of the area a product is from. TEA from an Islamic prayer ‘ridden/infested’ area (Islam strip mines spiritually IMHO, thats why all those forests tend to become deserts or urban deserts wherever Muslims are) and will not be bought by markets, and that is why Chinese neutrality has made so much Chinese produce somehow so buyable, or Thai rice for example (which still has dangerously Buddhist leanings . . . ).

COFFEE from Islamic prayer ‘ridden/infested’ areas like UAE, most of Malaysia or even less secular parts of Indonesia (civet cat pre-pooped or not) will also be doomed to failure, simply because the buyers do not want to be Islamised by proxy. Conversely consider why Brazilian (sea, surf and bootay!) coffee ‘somehow’ seems superior – thats because there are no robed ghosties of locals hovering around the plants after hours with intent to ‘Islamise’. AT least in occult theory informed buyers at least, products from ‘religious’ areas are UNBUYABLE perhaps excepting the ‘Wuwei’ mentality of the Chinese (inaction) that actually improves a product by sheer non-investment of the pathos that other religions infuse their products with! Intent (or NEUTRALITY of intent) gives the product pedigree, and only the most secular producers can win in this game (which is why USA’s fanchises are somewhat ahead, though tainted by Freemasonry to a degree). Spiritual CLEANLINESS/NEUTRALITY of food is CRITICAL for sales assurances.

Tea from fundo heartland Malaysia? Forget that, India and China takes the cake FOREVER instead where tea is concerned. Though coconuts as well from India have the same pollution, the informed had better give the Indian grown coconuts or coconut products a wide berth. The whole gamut of Malaysian products is thus spiritually POLLUTED, and for a generalised (and cautiously presumptuous) example, from experiences at WW2, Austwictz may have just made German products that much more ethical (Nazi SS used alot of occultism, but since they have given up on that, the products PERHAPS are superiorly secular where applicable, though Caucasian obsession with the Aramean faith of Xianity and Xianity’s brand of proselytization could still down them, Judaism’s conversions are far more subtle but equally manipulative to no point as all 3 Monotheisms are Amon-Ra derived which was the invention of the reviled heretic Pharoah in any case – bring back the original faith systems regionally to put an end to the insanity . . .)

Then consider education and religious education (even more dangerous) and here you have the reasons for failures of such and such races. The spiritual hostility/manipulation guarantees failure. Let me say though what Malaysia might be worth – low density/nomadic ORANG ASLI UBAT *from* rainforests that could be worth a fortune, but all Malaysia has now are sprawling grey expanses of prayer blaring in neighbourhoods of backbiting political wannabes filled with greed and hatred towards other races and of course the faux-Arab ulama wannabes harrassing all and sundry with Hudud, all of the above who have who forgotten their beautiful naturistic Orang Asli beginnings.

So much for Malaysia’s viability and uniqueness, just a spiritual colony of the Arabs who already are more known for violent puishments (Hudud limb hacking, beheading), religious insularism (this and that are polluting/polluted these people are beneath us! / different God or Godless so are enemeies immediately/must be cursed to go to Hell (which might be an semi-dream state world as much as Heaven, created from constant inculpation while ALIVE so when dying hallucinates about, or has the inculpated NDE type experience) – luckily there are more people and better tech armed nations to counter thse barbarians), low tolerance to other cultures (eat pork or drink alcohol so entire peoples must be targeted, facilities for processing disallowed etc..) and terrorism (drawing a bomb turban cartoon means innocent people not involved in the 10th Crusade, who have never ever heard of the Prophet must die while on the way to work in a subway or have their Twin Towers collapse) than anything else. Islam is a copy of Xianity which is a copy of Judaism which is a copy of Amon-Ra which was a result of Heretic Pharoah Akenathan’s LAZINESS. Guess those 72 virgins might have been guess who’s fond mirage while struggling in a hellish oasis bordering a desert creating hell on Earth – how about a volcanic region called New Hell in the deepest desert, would be fitting . . .

Islam and Arabism is unique and very distinct, but bloodthirsty, impractical, too martial and not viable for this generation of YoutubeVid/MTV making, subculture studied, politically aware world citizens who’d rather be eating whatever meat of their choice (including PORK), drinking alcohol, smoking pot and contemplating the Universe (while dressed in BDSM fetish wear or Cosplay?) than irritating/trying to destroy peoples, communities, countries (at very last being manipulatively sanctimonious about being vegetarian) that are different from them. Religion belongs to the last millenia, and though religion should be kept alive and have spaces, cannot be allowed to impinge on secular people, legally, spiritually or otherwise. There must be spaces for all even if any group’s beliefs/activities are supposedly illegal to another – with the choice of consent to be part of any community the democratic choice of the individual ABOVE the preference of the state.

GEORGE TOWN- The DAP disciplinary committee will decide the fate of Pulau Tikus assemblyman Koay Teng Hai after he failed to turn up at the recent state assembly meeting.

Penang DAP chief Chow Kon Yeow said the state working committee had decided to refer Koay’s absence at the meeting between Nov 1 and 9 to the disciplinary committee.

Chow said the disciplinary committee will be made up of a five-member panel. They will be drawn from the central executive committee and headed by Tan Kok Wai.

It was reported Koay would also face disciplinary action for ignoring Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s refusal to approve his leave.

He missed the assembly to attend a meeting on the United States Election/Project for Young Political Leaders organised by the US embassy without Lim’s permission. Koay could not be reached for comment.

– New Straits Times

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

F**k DAP. Who cares what DAP thinks? Only the RAKYAT living in Pulau Tikus will decide if the Pulau Tikus adun stays or not! Maybe DAP will be replaced by independent candidates by the next GE. DAP has failed 90% of campaign manifestos and has NEVER addressed APARTHEID of BUMIPUTERA.

ARTICLE 14

Yes, you must behave, Bung — Erna Mahyuni – November 22, 2012

Nov 22 — You have to admire the Kinabatangan MP on some level. No other MP gladly puts his foot in his mouth with so much relish, you begin to wonder if his foot is delicious.

Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin in person is an affable man, who prides himself on his “every man” demeanour, and talks more like your drunk uncle than a lawmaker.

The problem is, Bung, is that you’re not just an embarrassing family member but an elected Member of Parliament.

There are expectations that come with the role, unfortunately.

One of them is the realisation that you can’t just say what you want, when you want.

Being an elected representative means there are standards of behaviour we expect you to meet.

At the very least, you shouldn’t swear, in public, especially at one of the people you are hoping votes for you in the next election.

Must I remind you GE13 is just around the corner???We’re all allowed a slip of the tongue once in a while. We’re all human, after all.

The problem with you, Bung, is that you don’t so much “slip”, as much as “stab” with your tongue.??What is unacceptable is that your Barisan Nasional leaders let you get away with your outrageous statements.

That bocor statement you made all that time ago? It was chauvinistic, rude and unacceptable. You didn’t just slur an opposition MP but all women. You have never apologised for that, have you? Don’t get me started on your smart remarks about women drivers.

But your greatest act of chauvinism, Bung, was ignoring the law of the land by refusing to ask permission from your first wife to marry your second. I can understand you were impatient, as your new wife is such a pretty young thing.

Did you forget you’re an elected official? Aren’t elected officials supposed to, you know, follow the rules?

Instead, you hopped off to Thailand for a quickie wedding and, unfortunately, got caught.??Being an MP doesn’t put you above the law.

If anything, you’re supposed to obey and uphold it. ??So it’s a little rich, your defending your right to use the F-word to ‘put someone in his/her place’.

You gave up that right when you took your oath. ??As a representative of the people, you are supposed to be someone we look up to. You are supposed to set an example.

You are supposed to maintain a code of conduct that we expect you to follow, because if you can’t follow it, then why should we???Some people think that calling you out for it in public is ‘sensationalising a non-issue’.

I beg to differ.

In other countries, MPs using foul words in public is frowned upon as well.

People are going to call you names and insult you.

Get used to it. As an MP, you must take the higher ground and ignore those who call you names.

As someone who gets plenty of insults on Twitter and in my column’s comments, I understand the need to vent.

But Twitter isn’t the place for it, Bung, and you know that.

All we’re asking from you is that you show a little class and save the F-word for occasions when half of Malaysia can’t hear you.

So behave, Bung.

Or we’ll have no qualms whatsoever not to vote for you or anyone you champion.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

Erna versus Bung . . . polygamy is not exclusively a preserve OR punching bag of any culture (ancient or modern), and more an expression of individuals in relation to other individuals commitment in numbers more than 2 . . . Radin or Raden btw is an ORIGINAL Indonesian name, without Islam’s/Arab’s influence. So at least 1 person in the MALAY Dewan has 2/3rds of a truly Nusantaran name . . .

WHAT? Even most adults of the day do not ask their parents if they can marry who and who, much less a wife, though consultations may take place.

There must be though certain courtesies that the civilised 2nd wife should respect AFTER marriage that a blackball by society can retaliate by at very most if they do not treat the first wife with general respect as expected in society (i.e. ‘CHIVALRY’ to the first wife, like pouring drinks or opening doors – this politeness contrived or not is for the pleasure and dignity of the HUSBAND btw.

The second wife should defer to the first wife in certain ways such as not being ‘competitive’ or not being arrogant (the begum of the harem must be respected because families are built around seniority based hierarchy to a degree – even if the first wife is not well studied or very educated or even pretty etc. . . . MANNERS makes for attractiveness and a dignified family), though the first wife may by reason that sex is available from the second or subsequent, refuse at reasonable intervals not more than 50% (or 66% in the case of 2 wives) of what was asked for in the past by the husband – barring ageing libidos.

The first wife also remains married to the husband *specifically* for the face of the children hereon, even in the case of chilled relations between her and the husband. But to ASK PERMISSION to marry? Whats wrong with you Erna?

As discussed in my blog elsewhere, SOME (only some) women experience a change in their bodies after having children, and this can also be a reason to refuse sex, and this also becomes the reason the husband gets a second or subsequent wife. Being a modern woman or even a lesbian or a feminist does not mean that older forms of family do no exist, Erma has not been mixing around alot with polygamous families even as androgamous families are anathema to the polygamous ones. You’re showing your narrow minded side here Erma!

No where Erna’s response is concerned. NO, anyone who has more than one wife NEED NOT behave in the way Erna Mahyuni describes. Erna doesn’t belong in Bung’s society (or harem), not should Erna cast stones at cultures that do not involve Erna. One of Erna’s lines of logic is viable though, MPs need more class AND term limits as well, so in calls for Bung to step down, Erna and moi will be on the same side though not for the same reasons (with Ernha’s reasoning stemming from some inadequacy or simplistic mindset that feels a need to attack Bung’s right to marry freely as much as Bung’s first wife has a right to demand a divorce (which is not happening as of this comment posting at any rate). Inverse jealousy perhaps? Hey there’s always plastic surgery . . .

ARTICLE 15

Muezzin of Pahang state mosque killed in accident – November 17, 2012

KUANTAN, Nov 17 — A muezzin of Sultan Ahmad 1 state mosque was killed in a road accident at the traffic junction near Jalan Tun Ismail here, this morning.

Under unwritten spiritual covenents of all religions, no intent for sneaky proselytization via vocalised psychic intent will be tolerated by ‘God’, or the following of whatever faith. All muezzins should sing with NEUTRALITY and sincerity and ONLY IN SPECIFIC PSYCHIC ADDRESS to consensual Muslims. I even heard a muezzin GARGLING while singing, obviously intended to proselytize that when a person gargles, they are ‘praying’ – this form of dishonesty is as damnable in ‘god’s’ view, as slurred satanic prayers in conventional lyrics in music (also NLP mispronunciations), a parent intentionally encouraging their children to make a ruckus to disturb the neighbours, or inserting ‘convertive symbolism’ in MTVs of any sort.

Ethics in INFORMED CONSENT or else the spirit that made a muezzin a Muslim will depart for the nearest best converted person and the muezzin will be spiritually impacted at least, hurt or even DIE, this could be anyone that hears the muezzin and is converted. The worthiest UNCONVERTED person will receive the ‘spirit’ of the muezzin. Needless to say a muezzin needs to have very clear intent while singing and being heard by so many that are not Muslim or may not even be friendly to Muslims, a muezzin’s job is particularly hazardous as opposed to the Ulama who is heard ONLY by the faithful. The only caveat of safety for the muezzin is an attitude of deference to those auditorily impinged by the prayer, even if just vaguely like a mosquito in the background, the spiritual effects in the astral and ethereal will be potentially quite dangerous. For Prophet had said :

Ayah 203 of Surah A’raaf: “Disrespect and rashness clouds the mind and it is only politeness and respect that brings more divine mercy.’

Singing WITH intent to convert without informed consent is RUDE and Allah will have no protection for those who behave in a disrespectful manner to non-Muslims who are minding their own business before being disturbed by a prayer they didn’t want to hear, disturbing their concentration which is their god given right. Some people (regardless of faith or wealth or position – an ordinary secular citizen, itinerant or beggar, who was asleep or resting enjoying the silence, might have been subconsciously been lending strength to a Mujaheedin in battle before the prayer of the Muezzin woke them up, causing the Mujaheedin to weaken at a critical moment and lose the battle in a critical region of the world where battles for/against Islam are continuing . . . or technical malfunctions in vehicles (even dangerous dimensional or temporal disruptions, releases of EMP type effects that interact with the ionosphere or even the Sun causing Earthquakes or Solar Flares etc..) may even be doing ‘god’s’ work, before a prayer disturbs them and hence god will punish the offender. Prayer by voice rather than loudspeaker though must be fairly tolerated, though again a prayer must not be ‘directed’ at any except to ‘god’ and for Human Rights and Democratic Principle respecting matters preferably.

ARTICLE 16

From Kuantan to Dataran Merdeka: The emancipatory journey for a green Malaysia — Boon Kia Meng – November 22, 2012

NOV 22 — Humans make history; but never in circumstances and situations of their own choosing. This insightful observation by Marx, as he watched over the social upheavals unfolding in Europe in the middle of the 19th century, is a timely expression on what is happening in Malaysia today.

Have Malaysians ever heard of a group of ordinary, fellow Malaysians — our fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, our children — marching slowly but surely, on foot, all 300 kilometres of it, rain or shine, from Kuantan to Dataran Merdeka? All united in a common cause: to stop any further environmental degradation in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah and Sarawak, where stopping the Lynas rare earth refinery in Gebeng, and the Murum and Baram dams in Sarawak, constitutes a fundamental demand.

These Malaysian citizens chose to embark on this journey (dubbed “Langkah Lestari”) because for far too long we have collectively as a nation allowed indiscriminate “development” and rapacious capitalistic resource extraction to go on, all in the name of economic growth and wealth creation.

Just witness the rapid decimation of our natural forestry and the displacement of our fellow indigenous Malaysian communities in Sabah/Sarawak and the peninsula. These have become common phenomena and Malaysians know deep inside that the present state of affairs cannot go on indefinitely without irreversible consequences to our common habitat.

It was their spirit and determination that drew me and my friends to join them in their walk for environmental justice. Donning green shirts and a peasant farmer’s hat, we experienced first-hand what ordinary Malaysians can achieve when they organise themselves, a trend that typifies the sea change in people’s attitude and participation in citizenship activism since 2008.

Ordinary mothers arrange lodgings and food distribution, grandpas and grandmas providing moral support with their feet and encouraging words, fathers managing logistic details, while the young, even little children, learn to take their first baby steps in authentic environmentalism and love for the country.

In other words, “Langkah Lestari” epitomises what has been truly essential in any democratic movement for bringing real social change: the twin values of self-organisation and mutual aid. Against these values, no authoritarian state or oppressive regime can stand a chance. Ordinary citizens, learning to organise themselves, little by little, will win the hearts and minds of the majority of the populace.

Make no mistake. The detractors and spokespersons for corporate and vested interests, such as Lynas Corp, will try to justify the viability of their operations on the grounds of economic development and job creation. Malaysian citizens have to judge for themselves whether this “win-win” deal is really beneficial for the country, especially for the residents in Gebeng/Kuantan.

What are Malaysians getting in exchange for the 12-year tax holiday given to Lynas, estimated at RM1.8 billion per annum, not to mention the billions of ringgit of revenue Lynas will generate from these operations? In reality, this is a classic case of neoliberal capitalism in action: the privatisation of profits, whilst socialising the costs, both human and environmental.

In the Lynas case, it is even more farcical, where we have a case of a foreign mining corporation, which is reaping stratospheric profits as a result of the Western Australian mining boom, deciding to externalise its social costs to another country. Instead of acting as protector and guardian of her citizens’ security and well-being, the Malaysian government has abdicated that role for the sake of endless capital accumulation.

It is no wonder that people from all walks of life are seeing through the lies of neoliberal ideology and deciding to leave the sidelines and join this struggle. The patronising dogma of big business that preaches wealth trickling down to the masses is increasingly hollow and losing its ideological hold on the people.

Try telling the Orang Asal brothers and sisters from Sarawak, who are marching daily with their Semenanjung compatriots, on the merits of an unfettered, free market economy that promises prosperity for all. Our indigenous brothers and sisters will tell you about the true face of “economic development”, where countless thousands of them have experienced forced displacement, land grabbing and environmental destruction.

Politicians from both sides wax lyrical about the need for more development and allocation funds for Sabah and Sarawak. They fail to see that uneven development and destruction of traditional forms of living have led to increasing proletarianisation (making them wage-earners, instead of their traditional self-sufficient farming existence) of our indigenous peoples, precisely what a capitalist economy cannot fail but generate.

These are the hard truths made visible by this 300km walk. It forces us to confront the dark, hidden side of our exploitative economy and its unsustainable ecological trajectory.

This brings us back to the significance of this Sunday, November 25, in the history of this nation. The marchers have decided to occupy Dataran Merdeka once they reach there, awaiting the presence of the prime minister and Members of Parliament from both sides of the political divide the very next morning.

Again ordinary Malaysians like them face the arbitrary exercise of state power in the hands of City Hall and the police when the mayor of KL said that no gathering in Dataran is allowed without an application for permit. We know that the upsurge of participation of Malaysians in public protests since Bersih 3.0 is no historical accident. The momentum of people’s movements will only grow stronger and stronger by the day and “Himpunan Hijau 2.0: Langkah Lestari” in Dataran Merdeka this Sunday will be no different. Thousands upon thousands of Malaysians will be there, come what may.

As I sat in the room with our fellow marchers, listening to the children of Bentong sing a song dedicated to their struggle, I felt strangely emotional. It was as if their voices helped us peer into a future of a new Malaysia that is taking shape right before our eyes. Of its shape and detail, no one could tell with any certainty. But one thing is for sure. It will be a Malaysia very different from the present one, burdened by her heavy history of class and environmental exploitation, and ethnic-based political ideologies.

“Those who do not move, do not notice their chains,” the radical democrat Rosa Luxemburg once said. Thank you, participants of Langkah Lestari, for walking and making Malaysians conscious of the shackles that are enslaving us. Thank you, Saudara Wong Tack (the organising chairperson), for reminding all Malaysians that true emancipation lies in our very own hands: “Pilihan di tangan kita!”

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Wildebeest walk even further and every single year of their life, not just once, but only are fodder for Crocodiles of the Nile, the predators along the way. REAL Emancipation is not feeling proud about walking or cycling around mindlessly but fighting for :

The greenest society can form, but if minorities are not equals but dhimmis who subvert intent of the articles and words for freedom and equality, there will be no dignity of life for non-Muslims and in general non-politicians. Pakatan sure has alot of ‘fun’ activities to distract the Rakyat from equality eh? And the biggest cheerleader of this sort of accept Hudud (actually not thats accept ‘Hadi’ but we all know that can become Hudud since hadi has not addressed the concerns of Article 4’s response above) but don’t address Bumiputera b.s. is term limitless, nepotistic DAP . . .

OCT 3 ? “All you East Malaysians need to do is vote out BN!” I hear that time and time again from various people in Peninsular Malaysia and it’s getting frankly tiresome.

I apologise to Sarawakians in advance for having to explain things on your behalf, but I have lived in your state so am not totally clueless. Unlike the many who think that all that is needed is a Braveheart-like uprising where the united peoples of Sabah and Sarawak rise up against tyranny and all that jazz.

It’s not that simple. And that’s my biggest beef with opposition rhetoric. It oversimplifies things, forgetting context and ignoring the complexities of East Malaysia.

One challenge both Sabah and Sarawak have is geography. We’re far removed from West Malaysia, quite literally, and in some ways it has worked out for the best but has also made integration tricky. There are far too many assumptions on each side about the other and “getting to know” each other requires a two- to three-hour flight.

Sarawak is a huge state and its terrain makes traversing it prohibitively expensive. The Penans and other interior-dwelling folk have it worse; they are forced to trek hours to the nearest transport stop to get to the nearest city. They do not have ready access to the things we city dwellers take for granted: piped water, electronic and physical media, hospitals and decent schools.

Even on the outskirts of Kota Kinabalu, the state capital of Sabah, there are schools that are little more than glorified shacks with crowded classrooms and malnourished children. Don’t get me started on the West Malaysian teachers who refuse their postings to Sabah and Sarawak or clamour to be sent home as soon as possible.

Racial tolerance is more pronounced here. Yet, the reality is that despite the “peace” between the various races in East Malaysia, it isn’t easy to get them on the same page politically.

Sabah, for instance, has various splinter parties that are also quite clearly delineated by race. SUPP is predominantly Chinese, PBS is mostly Sabah Bumiputera with a few Chinese people, the Muslim Bumiputeras once mostly congregated in USNO, but the BN-friendly now are in Umno.

It’s not much different in Sarawak. The various communities may get along better but dig down and their politics is the same old selfish Malaysian politics. It’s never about what’s best for the state or the country; it’s about what’s best for their own communities. Let the Penans rot in the jungles so long as my community gets first pick of lucrative contracts.

That is the reality of the Malaysian mindset; the preoccupation with what’s best for your own kind to the detriment of everyone else. Malaysians don’t seem to believe in “win-win.” It’s “I take everything and everyone else can go die-lah.” Which explains our love for monopolies.

PKR’s already shot itself in the foot by refusing to co-operate with local parties in Sabah and Sarawak. How am I, as a native from Sabah, supposed to place trust in a party that made Azmin Ali Sabah PKR chief? How am I supposed to believe that Anwar Ibrahim and his cohort won’t do the same thing and just hand out division chief titles to people from the peninsula as “rewards” to the faithful once the state is won?

What Pakatan Rakyat should be doing is forming alliances with local opposition parties. Instead, it intends to compete against them. Of course, BN will probably end up winning because of split votes.

Don’t get me started on people harping on about how Sarawakians should all unite and toss its current chief minister out. Here’s news for you: The reason he’s still in power is because the people who have benefitted from his position like him where he is. Ponder that for a moment.

It took Bruno Manser to come in and unite the various Penan tribes. It will take more than a well-meaning Swiss to unite the various factions in the two states. Sadly the people trying to play catalyst are not altruistic crusaders but those with an eye on Putrajaya.

By the way, because I have to keep reminding you, Sabah did vote against BN. But BN “convinced” PBS MPs to jump ship in the biggest “frog” incident in Malaysian history. Back in the day, Anwar Ibrahim was proud to be seen as “delivering” the state back to BN.

It’s not that simple; it was never that simple; it will never be that simple. So word of advice to Pakatan: When three words can sum up your campaign (“BN is bad!”), you need to do a lot better.

* The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Erma turned against the people? Simple, just vote for anyone who is not GLC or political party linked that intends to ensure Sarawak and Sabah get their 100% due to disbursement (LGE offered only 15%!!! Shocking!) as well as all stolen lands returned, or secession will be started at the UN. And Erma goes all propagandist on the Orang Asli who deserve so much more. Malaysia can fall apart for all any of the right minded care, that wealth is not Peninsular Malaysia’s to disburse or those lands for anyone but the Orang Asli regardless of what illegal and farcical or UN non-compliant or non-commonsense laws applied against the Orang Asli by our LEGAL JUNTA Bar Council which has refused to address apartheid and refused to amend bad laws and constitutional articles.

It’s not that simple; it was never that simple; it will never be that simple . . . .

BECAUSE of Pakatan’s own unpleasant/self serving nature even as BN is worse. Orang Asli had better think clear and demand FULL EQUAL CITIZENSHIPS as well as 100% disbursement rights of any wealth from East Malaysia. Otherwise no point being part of Malaysia when even Native land is being given away or Orang Asli proselytized to disregarding their native faith. No more ‘harsh apologism’ propaganda for Pakatan ok Erma? Ooo, really lost alot of respect for you in your article – Malaysian Insider is consistent and professional BUT wrong minded and democratically obstructive with pro-BN’s wrong values and all about expediency much like BN is. Smoke screens that disregard the facts as above listed mean nothing in real policy and real vote (well barring the ‘dumbed down’ or ‘on the take’ voters).

So word of advice to Pakatan: When three words can sum up your campaign (“BN is bad!”), you need to do a lot better.

Erma needs to do a lot better too, criticism based on selective or partial fact designates Erma as a (gasp!) pro-BN writer. Vote for 3rd Force, drop BOTH BN and Pakatan!

Minister in the Prime Ministers Department, Dato Seri Nazri Aziz should state if the government is prepared to temporarily halt all executions by hanging in cases where persons have been convicted for death penalty offences pending a review of our death penalty laws.

Singapore recently moved to abolish the mandatory death penalty for drug related offences and murder. The courts have now a discretion in the matter. Where for example, the offender in a drug case is shown to be a mere drug courier, and in a case involving homicide where the situation does not warrant the death penalty, the courts in Singapore will now have a discretion to mete out punishments of life imprisonment instead of the death penalty.

Following the announcement, Singapore Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Teo Chee Hean said in a statement that all executions that have become due since the review started since July 2011 had been deferred.

Malaysian AG quick to follow but all talk, no action

It is to be noted that the Malaysian Attorney General had in an interview with the Malay Mail published on 11 July 2012 said that his chambers was also working towards proposing an amendment to our Dangerous Drugs Act to give our judges a discretion in the matter of sentencing.

In the report he is quoted as saying “Since late last year, we have been doing research and studies , and one of the suggestions is that we want to allow those on death sentence to be resentenced. This means those on death row would be referred back to the courts, with legal representation to be resentenced.”

Our government should also defer executions if there are to be changes to these laws, especially where existing sentences of death will be reviewed as suggested.

The taking of ones life is a very serious matter. This is a sentence which is irreversible.

Dato Seri Nazri should also tell us what is the status of the reviews planned in respect of abolishing death penalty laws in our country. Will it only be confined to drug related offences or will it also extend to other areas and offences which carry the death penalty?

This, needless to say, is very significant as if other areas are included as well, then a moratorium in respect of all should be considered.

Home Minister Dato Seri Hishamuddin Hussein told Parliament earlier this year that according to statistics from the Prisons Department, as at February this year, a total of 860 persons have been sentenced to death for various offences such as murder, drug trafficking, firearms and kidnapping.

Given the large numbers involved, I also call upon the government to step up its efforts in reviewing the laws concerned. This is an area of review which to my mind, given the gravity of its nature, ought to be given top priority. It must be resolved without delay.

GOBIND SINGH DEO is the DAP MP for Puchong

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

End apartheid for near 40% of the population first then bother about the 0.0001% death sentences. Whats the point in voting MPs who neglect the major issues but keep fooling around with non-issues? Waste of mandate granted by unthinking people who only see the personality but not the policy. Meanwhile the MP gets to be a ‘careerist’ and has the voters pay their salaries to do virtually nothing except appear on television and talk loudly – they love hearing the sound of their own voices but never amend a single law, never challenge apartheid, and prevent all other citizens from participating in law making! Vote for a new MP every 4 years and even then only 25 MPs would have sat on that seat in 100 years! how could anyone allow these farcical MPs to make Mubaraks or Gaddafis of themselves on their taxmonies?

Briefing to the Malaysian Parliament on the ongoing judicial inquiry at the Tribunal De Grande Instance into the payment of alleged illegal and/or corrupt commissions for the purchase of two Scorpene submarines by the Government of Malaysia from the firms Direction des Construction Navales Services ( “DCNS” ), Thales and Armaris in 2002

I refer to the above ongoing judicial inquiry at the Tribunal De Grande Instance in Paris presided over by Judge Roger Le Loire and Judge Serge Tournaire into the complaint by SUARAM, a Malaysian human rights non-governmental organization alleging that corrupt and illegal payments were made by the French suppliers DCNS and Thales and their joint venture company Armaris to Malaysian citizens and officials in relation to the purchase of the submarines in 2002 which were at the material time authorized by the then Malaysian Defence Minister and current Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, where payments of up to 700 milliom ringgit were received by companies ( Perimekar Sdn Bhd and Terasasi ) owned by his adviser and close associate, Abdul Razak Baginda.

As Leader of Opposition in Parliament, I write to request your presence as lawyers acting for SUARAM, a party to the ongoing inquiry, to deliver a briefing on the status and development of the inquiry to interested Malaysian Members of Parliament during this current session of the Malaysian Parliament which will run until 22″ November 2012. I propose to invite all members of the Malaysian Parliament to this briefing.

7 witnesses

I am informed that a delegation from SUARAM comprising board members Mr Kua Kia Soong, Ms Cynthia Gabriel and Ms Fadiah Nadwa Fikri on 19 April 2012 appeared before Judge Roger Le Loire represented by your goodselves and assisted the inquiry with documents and facts substantiating their complaint of corruption with regard to the Scorpene purchases at the Tribunal De Grande Instance.

I understand that Judge Le Loire, after having heard SUARAM’s testimony has accepted a list of seven proposed witnesses including Prime Minister Najib Razak, the current Defence Minister Zahid Hamidi and also Abdul Razak Baginda.

Many members of the Malaysian Parliament are following the ongoing inquiry closely. This inquiry is vital to shed light on many unanswered questions arising from the purchase of the submarines by the Government of Malaysia. For some years now questions in the Malaysian Parliament regarding the payment of 114 million Euro to Abdul Razak Baginda’s company Perimekar Sdn Bhd for so-called “logistical support for training” have not received satisfactory answers. Perimekar &in Bhd was known to the French suppliers as a company with no track record for such training support.

Tax-deductible ‘bribe’: More corrupt payment uncovered

Despite reports to the Malaysia Anti-Coruption Commission, no result has been achieved despite the obvious suspicious nature of the payments. I note that Gerard Phillippe iVtaneyas, former finance director for DCNS, has in fact claimed a tax deduction for 32 million Euros allegedly used to bribe Malaysian officials for the purchase of the Scorpenes using legal provisions prior to France adopting OECD anti-corruption procedures and rules in 2002.

Following the commencement of the inquiry on 16 March 2012, SUARAM, being a party to the inquiry, has gained full privileged access to 153 documents from the Public Prosecutor’s office and has made public some of the contents of the investigation papers in several media conferences. Based on the content of these documents, SUARAM has also exposed a hitherto unknown further large payment of about 30 million Euros from the French suppliers to a company called Terasasi in Hong Kong which is controlled by Abdul Razak Baginda.

I am informed that many, if not all of these 153 investigation papers can now be viewed on the Internet news portal called “Asia Sentinel” at http://www.asiasentinel.com. Based on the content of some of these documents, there are clear indications that the payment of 114 million Euros and 30 million Euros to Abdul Rank Baginda companies are in fact corrupt payments made to facilitate the purchases of the submarines.

Top secret Malaysian navy document seized during DCNS raid

I note that these documents contain references to the fact that a top secret document belonging to the Malaysian Royal Navy was in the files seized by the French Anti-Corruption authorities from DCNS which was sent to it by Terasasi (Hong Kong) Ltd. Again police reports and questions in Parliament have not led to revelation of how this serious breach of secrecy took place.

In light of the above, there exists an urgent need for interested members of the Malaysian Parliament to be kept abreast of the developments in the ongoing inquiry to enable us to pursue accountability for the illegal acts of corrupt payments that are believed to have taken place. We would also like to be advised on the authenticity of the documents available on the Asia Sentinel website and the implications of their contents.

My office would be pleased to have early confirmation of your arrival dates to make all the necessary arrangements. For your information, we have also invited Messieur Olivier Metzner who acts for DCNS to also attend the briefing. We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully

Anwar Ibrahim

Telefon: 20721955 Ruj. Kami: Rttj.Tuan:

20721707 Fax: 26932529

2nd October 2012

Cabinet BOURDON VOITURIEZ & Associes Avocats au Barreau de PARIS

156, Rue de Rivoli — 75001 PARIS

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Anwar and Pakatan by extension is DETESTABLE for refusing to address and remove BUMIPUTRA APARTHEID and chase after Scorpene sub issues that hardly affect anyone except their political opponents. Ignoring near 40% of the population for personal political points is worthless for the Rakyat. Vote for 3rd force.

FISHY- Chua urges MACC to investigate why state firms got only RM10 each for RM478 million debts

KUALA LUMPUR: MCA Young Professionals Bureau chief Datuk Chua Tee Yong has claimed that two Selangor-owned companies were paid only RM10 each in the Talam debt recovery exercise despite being owed millions of ringgit.

Speaking to reporters at the party headquarters yesterday, Chua said Universiti Selangor (Unisel) and Permodalan Negeri Selangor (PNSB) were only paid this amount based on two assignments of debt agreements in 2009.

The assignments, which were signed between the state government, Talam Corp Bhd and the state-owned companies noted that the debt-ridden company owed Unisel and PNSB RM248 million and RM230 million respectively.

The documents, dated Nov 3, 2009 reads: “Now therefore this agreement witnesses that in consideration of the premises and mutual promises, covenants, conditions, representations and warranties hereinafter contained and the sum of RM10 now paid by the Assignee to the Assignor”.

With this, Chua said that the previous state administration should not be blamed for being in financial trouble.

“Unisel’s financial condition has worsened as Unisel only received RM10 for the Talam debt collection exercise instead of RM248 million,” he said, adding that a RM36 million discount was also given to Talam although it did not fulfil a settlement agreement that expired in 2008.

“PNSB has received only RM10 and is now having a loan of RM230 million with interest and costs of RM86 million while Talam Corp saves RM24 million yearly.”

The Labis member of parliament also came up with new figures on the Talam debt recovery exercise, in a claim that the state government had overvalued the Talam land.

He said the assets acquired with apparent overvaluation amounted to RM676 million, with RM86 million total interest and costs borne by PNSB.

He also included RM36 million discount given to Talam, which brings a total estimated cost of RM798 million.

“Until today, the Pakatan Rakyat Selangor government has not been able to give a clear answer on the issues raised.”

He added that the white paper on it was still not tabled despite their promises to do so.

“The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission should look into this.”

In July, Chua revealed a series of alleged misappropriation of funds by the Selangor government, claiming that the state had used RM1 billion to bail out Talam (now Trinity Corp) in the debt recovery exercise.

He claimed that the state government had done this through a RM392 supplementary budget passed in the legislative assembly in 2009, and the state subsequently bought an additional RM676 million worth of assets from Talam.

The Selangor government, however, denied the claims, saying that it had gone through proper channels and appointed independent audit firms in a show of transparency.

– New Straits Times

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Tee Yong and BN by extension is DETESTABLE for refusing to address and remove BUMIPUTRA APARTHEID and chase after Unisel issues that hardly affect anyone except their political opponents. Ignoring near 40% of the population for political points is worthless for the Rakyat. Vote for 3rd force.

ARTICLE 5

Malaysia is the most profitable business – Politics in Malaysia is the most profitable business – Saturday, 06 October 2012 Super Admin – Steve Oh, CPI

I am sure most Malaysians will agree with Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak in a recent speech that there is more to corruption than government abuses. What more is not conjecture as much of it is in the public domain.

Surely it must be evident from the various writings in Malaysiakini, CPI and other weblogs unless someone is so out of touch with the present reality and fails to recognise the angst and anger of many civic-minded Malaysians who see their country sliding down the slippery slope.

It is true what Najib said that “What is often neglected, however, is the fact that corruption and corrupt behaviour is entangled deep with the moral fabric of all societies.”

He went on to say, “It is critical, therefore, people in positions of power and authority to exemplify the values they wish their constituents would follow”.

But does Najib believe what he says?

And more importantly where is the walk besides the talk?

All we have seen seems to be in the contrary. We are wont to ask, “Where is the example from the people in positions of power and authority?”

Instead many blame successive BN administrations for the decrepit moral state of their country because of corruption and abuses of power, which Najib admits implicitly. And Najib has yet to shake off the ghost of Altantuya Shaaribuu whose murder still leaves the public with the question: “Who ordered the killing?”

The incumbent government has much to answer for its failure to inspire the rest of the nation to higher moral conduct when it fails to apply the rule of law objectively across the board and involves its politicians and proxies in unbecoming acts such as the publishing of ‘dirty videos’ and other acts of political subterfuge.

If inspiring is too much to ask, Najib will sound more convincing if he can stop his government from picking on Malaysians whose only crime is they want to see the greed he describes and the obsession with profit diminished.

Excuses, excuses

Najib’s suggestion that “in some countries where severe punishment was meted out for corruption, it has not proven entirely effective” may explain why his administration is coy about allegations of corruption by some of his cabinet colleagues and the Sarawak Chief Minister Mahmud Taib.

However I am not aware of the failure of strong measures to curb corruption that has not succeeded anywhere. Since Najib did not mention the countries, it is hard to substantiate the statement. However there is irrefutable and strong evidence we know that proves severe punishment works.

Singapore is one success story worth noting. Singapore did not become what it is today – among the top nations on the global corruption index for squeaky clean governance – by making flimsy excuses like the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission for not having the power to take corrupt politicians to court.

The Singapore no-nonsense approach has proven corruption does not pay, and where it is found it is dealt with harshly by the authorities and we have even seen a senior politician charged commit suicide.

Surely the MACC’s excuse of having no power in the light of much global evidence in the allegations of corruption by the political bigwig must send every anti-corruption agency around the globe scratching their heads.

The truth is countries ensure there are laws to plug legal loopholes and every ploy by anyone to evade prosecution. Those governments ensure no one is above the law or out of its reach. There is even Interpol to help countries catch their criminals across borders.

Let us not forget Dr Mahahtir Mohammed went to extreme lengths to change the country’s constitution to get what he wanted and members of the royal family came under the scope of the law when he made it possible for them to be taken to court over civil and criminal matters where once they enjoyed legal impunity from prosecution.

But if a government lacks the moral and political will, then it will give dishonest and lame excuses. And sadly that is the problem with the Najib administration that seems bent on punishing those who want to see improvements in the moral fibre of their politicians, and even a constructive group like Aliran is not spared from harassment.

It begins with govt and its actions

The government can’t shirk its role in having created a political culture and society that has seen national integrity decline because of its corruption. Abuses of power filter outside of Putrajaya into the corridors of power and into the streets where cops are seen collecting bribes from illegal migrants and errant motorists.

The people in their daily lives are confronted with corruption everywhere.

With such moral insight that Najib exhibits in his speech, he ought to use his office and inspire his cabinet colleagues to lead Malaysia onto higher moral ground. After all, he espouses the virtues that Malaysians want to see badly after observing their nation bastardized by successive BN administrations. Even one that was relatively decent under Pak Lah was damned by Dr Mahathir Mohammed as “rotten”.

Before Act A804, land could only be acquired for public purposes or for public utilities like building of roads, schools, hospitals, pipelines, water or power plants, etc. With the addition of “…for any purpose which in the opinion of the State Authority is beneficial to the economic development of Malaysia”, no land is safe.

Thomas Fann

This is not a new issue, in fact it is 21 years old.

It all began when the Barisan Nasional government, with its overwhelming majority in Parliament, passed by 99 to 25 votes the 1991 Land Acquisition Amendment Bill, or Act A804. The rephrasing of sections of the Land Acquisition Act 1960 basically gave incontestable power to state governments to seize private land for development by private companies and individuals. Lands originally acquired for public purposes can also be used for private development.

Before Act A804, land could only be acquired for public purposes or for public utilities like building of roads, schools, hospitals, pipelines, water or power plants, etc. With the addition of “…for any purpose which in the opinion of the State Authority is beneficial to the economic development of Malaysia”, no land is safe.

The term “beneficial to the economic development of Malaysia” is as subjective as you can get. A piece of land can be acquired to build a posh five-star hotel, an amusement park or a golf resort because in the opinion of the government it would bring in the tourist dollar and create jobs for locals, not to mention enriching the private companies which would, of course, be paying taxes.

To really make the Land Acquisition Act water-tight for the acquirer, Section 68A says that acquisitions cannot be invalidated by reason of any kind of subsequent disposal or use (etc) of the acquired land.

This new provision aims at preventing the acquirer or the purported purpose from being challenged in court. You can only challenge the quantum of the compensation offered, the measurement of the land area, the person whom compensation is payable to, and the apportionment of the compensation.

The leader of the opposition then, Lim Kit Siang, in opposing Act A804, gave this dire warning: “When it becomes law, it will destroy the constitutional right to property enjoyed by Malaysians for 34 years since Merdeka, and become the mother of all corruption, abuses of power, conflicts-of-interest and unethical malpractices in Malaysia…”

Was Kit Siang just over-reacting or scare-mongering when he said that or is it a prophecy that was and is being fulfilled till today?

A new ball game

The impetus for the passing of Act A804 was for the acquisition of 33,000 acres of land in the Gelang Patah area for the construction of the second link with Singapore and the construction of a new township by UEM, wiping out 19 villages and displacing 10,000 people.

The Johor state government offered the affected smallholders compensation averaging RM26,000 per acre or 64 sen per sqe ft, far below the then market value of RM100,000 per acre for agricultural land.

In a subsequent civil suit by one of the affected landowners against the government of Johor in 1995, it was revealed that a subsidiary of Renong was offering the intended development for sale at RM17 per sq ft, a whopping 28 times more than what the original landowners got!

For a glimpse into some of the backroom wheeling and dealing that went on with these deals, one should read the court papers of cases like “Honan Plantations vs Govt of Johor’; and “Stamford Holdings vs Govt of Johor”. Names of notable personalities like Muhyiddin Yassin, Syed Mokhtar Albukhary and Yahya Talib in secret meetings were mentioned.

For the Second Link and the highway that linked it to the North-South Expressway to be built, the Land Acquisition Act was necessary. To be fair, compensation had to not only take into account the then prevailing market value but also the loss of livelihood for the people who used to live off the land.

With Act A804, the government seized a lot more land than was required for the custom and immigration complex and the highway. We can safely say it seized almost 24,000 acres more for a private corporation, UEM, albeit it is a GLC (government-linked corporation).

Today, UEM Land, as the master developer of the 23,875-acre Nusajaya (as the acquired land is now called) boasts of its enormous landbank and potential billions in profit from its development. We want to ask this simple poignant question: whose lands were these originally, and what about the 10,000 over affected villagers? Shouldn’t these people be beneficiaries of development and not its victims? Perhaps some of the villagers are now working in Legoland, who knows?

While some of the people behind the scenes went on to achieve high office and some made it to the top 10 billionaires list, thousands of other nameless Malaysians are without land and opportunities.

Land grab is non-discriminatory: Malaysians from all racial, religious and social strata are affected.

Gelang Patah was just the precursor to a new ball game called Land Grab and the same modus operandi was used for Seremban 2, Bandar Aman Jaya in Sungai Petani, Pantai Kundor/Pantai Tanah Merah and Paya Mengkuang in Melaka, Kerpan in Kedah, Sepang in Selangor, lands acquired for the MRT project, Jalan Sultan, native customary lands in the Peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak, and many, many more.

Of course, not all compulsory acquisitions are unjust or not justifiable; but there should be a fair and unskewed avenue for aggrieved landowners through the justice system to question certain acquisitions.

The courts now are somewhat constrained by Act A804, and in almost all cases such acquisitions are not reversed.

The Pengerang grab

Twenty years on, the same script is being acted out in Johor again (a BN stronghold), this time to the east in Pengerang.

A total of 22,500 acres of land are being acquired for the development of the Pengerang Integrated Petroleum Complex (PIPC). The anchor project in this proposal is Petronas’ RAPID project which requires a sizeable 6,424 acres.

Smallholders and plantations are being offered between RM1.80 psf and RM8 psf for their land.

Can Pengerang be called Gelang Patah 2.0 where again, on the pretext of development, a huge tract of land is being taken from their original landowners and placed in the hands of one or a few wealthy individuals and corporations? Is the PIPC the main play or is property speculation the main play?

Would the same prime minister who mooted the Third Link to Singapore in 2009 make the announcement again after all the land has been acquired? Who are the direct beneficiaries of such development?

All these are so “legal” that one government official after another is spewing out that it is done properly under the terms of the Land Acquisition Act 1960. It may be legal, but is it moral?

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak made a statement during the launch of the sixth International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities Conference in Kuala Lumpur on the Oct 4, 2012: “Is the unbridled and ruthless pursuit of extraordinary profits a form of corruption? I believe that if we see corruption as fundamentally a moral problem, therefore anything that promotes selfish interest at the expense of the well-being of others is morally wrong. It was vapid [tasteless] self-interest and greed that was truly at the heart of corruption. ”

Mr Prime Minister, I could not agree with you more.

How much is enough for the greedy? How many more poor and defenseless villagers must be forcibly displaced and robbed of the fruits of development to satisfy the insatiable appetites of the greedy who uses the Land Acquisition Act to enrich themselves? Who will speak up for the thousands who will be landless and many without a means of livelihood?

It is evil when a law is crafted to take away land from the poor without their consent, fair compensation or share in its benefits so that a few might make it to Forbes’ list of billionaires. We should all be foaming at our mouth with anger at this injustice but instead we just thank God daily that it is not our land they have come to take, at least not yet.

An Allodial Title is untouchable and even a highway will need to bend around the landowner’s property as in ‘Nail Houses’ in China. Vote only for MPs who will ratify ALLODIAL TITLES. Any MP who does not want to ratify Allodial Titles must not be voted in. Also vote for MPs on the basis if certain aspects Eminent Domain Powers of the State will be removed from law. If the MP will not/does not want to sign a statuary declaration that after GE13 they will ratify removal of Eminent Domain or promise in a Statuary Declaration on penalty of vacating the MP’s seat if failing to forward and ratify the bill, then that MP must not be voted in because they do not want your land to be protected, in fact Pakatan had caused the ‘Gambier Threat’ fracas as well by threatening to tear down privately built awnings on private property. Man’s home is their castle, we cannot allow politicians that dare use taxpayer paid enforcement to thrash people’s homes because nobody cared about unreasonable and abusive by-laws!

Dearest Malaysian Youth, beware of voting for Pakatan Rakyat into power. I am pretty sure you do not want to live another 4 or 5 years with all our freedom, rights and choices to be restricted by them. All Freedom and personal lifestyle liberty existed all this while because of Barisan Nasional Government and I am sure none of you would like to end up living the lifestyle like Pakatan Rakyat Islamic Kelantan and Kedah.

Shen Yee Aun,
President, Malaysian Youth Rights Movement

PAS Youth has demanded the immediate withdrawal of a permit given to an international modelling agency to hold a bikini fashion show in Malaysia. Selangor PAS Youth chief Hasbullah Mohd Ridzuan said holding a bikini show in an Islamic country was a major insult, referring to the planned Bello Model Management bikini fashion event at the Grand Millennium Hotel on Saturday.

What is both DAP’s and PKR’s stand regarding this issue? Pakatan Rakyat had many times deceived our Malaysian public that PAS’ Islamic agenda and cause will only affect the Muslim community. In this issue, the modeling agency is an International Agency and the their models only cater to all non-Muslim models. Both the organizer (agency) and models are not Muslims and why has Pakatan Rakyat’s PAS urged and asked our authorities to stop giving the license and permission to operate the fashion show?

What does a Fashion Show have to do with immoral activities? What is there in a fashion show that will harm our community? Malaysian Youth Voters believe that DAP and PKR will never stand up for you all as in this issue none of them came out to stand up for our rights and personal liberty. We have said that PAS does not need to have 2/3 majority in Parliament to actually start to sell and promote their Islamic Cause where now before they even take over Federal Power they are already very harsh in going against Fashion Shows.

No 1 : They are restricting the Freedom to Organize An Event
No 2 : They are restricting the Freedom for the choice of Dress Code
No 3 : They are trying to implement an Islamic Cause even into the non-Muslim Community
No 4 : They are restricting the FREEDOM OF CHOICE OF MODELING PROFESSION
No 5 : They are restricting the Establishment of Modeling Agencies in Malaysia
No 6 : They are restricting our Youth Personal Liberty and Lifestyle

Dearest Malaysian Youth, beware of voting for Pakatan Rakyat into power. I am pretty sure you do not want to live another 4 or 5 years with all our freedom, rights and choices to be restricted by them. All Freedom and personal lifestyle liberty existed all this while because of Barisan Nasional Government and I am sure none of you would like to end up living the lifestyle like Pakatan Rakyat Islamic Kelantan and Kedah.

A vote for DAP and PKR is a vote for PAS and a vote for PAS is a vote to lock yourself in a dark cage. Think wisely before you vote. For those who strive for personal freedom and liberty then at all cost they should reject Pakatan Rakyat Extremism. Voting for Pakatan Rakyat means all the Modeling Agencies in the entire Malaysia Will Be Shut Down. All the Event Companies, Fashion Shows and Pageant Organizers will be Shut Down from their Operation. All the women (non-Muslims) will be banned from wearing Bikinis. All the ENTIRE MODELS in Malaysia will lose their job. Those photographers and every profession that are related to fashion, modeling and events will be badly affected. Seriously, these are not a good choice of Change. You seriously want those types of Changes then please vote for them.

;Mr. Shen should go bury Malaysian Youth Right Movement under a pile of UMNO’s bumiputra apartheid abuse and the money Shen has been taking to dare speak when BN has not granted the above 3 items. Shen is a coward and the above are hardly freedoms but a norm. Set up non-4D gambling, RLDs in major city areas and remove Section 377B as well if all about freedom. Don’t pretend! Incidentally Anwar probably is gay as hell but pretending to be straight to be able to get the PM’s seat.

The media reports Anwar will be prime minister while his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail will be a minister in the prime minister’s office and Nurul Izzah Anwar would be Minister of Federal Territories and Urban Planning.

PR has denied the cabinet list.

“For such a long time after leaving Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN), he was always criticising nepotism,” the Wanita Umno chief was reported saying today by Mingguan Malaysia.

“But since he formed the opposition, all of them practice nepotism.”

Shahrizat told the Umno-owned Malay daily that Anwar was a leader who had no integrity for practising nepotism, an act he had severely criticised before.

She also questioned PAS’ stance since the Islamic party had been promised the prime minister post should PR win the upcoming general election.

“How was PAS initially listed and Anwar become PM?” asked the former minister for women, family and community development.

Shahrizat lost her Cabinet post in March following allegations that her family had misused federal funds for the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) worth RM250 million through their holding company National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp).

NFCorp attracted scrutiny when last year’s Auditor General Annual Report saod the cattle rearing project had failed to meet its targets.

Since then, PR headed by PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli have made several exposures of funds being abused for the project for items which were irrelevant to the cattle rearing industry.

This includes the purchase of luxury condominiums in Bangsar and Singapore and a plot of land in Putrajaya.

Shahrizat was appointed Minister for the Development of Women, Family and Community in 2001 and was retained even after losing the in the 2008 general election by being made a senator.

She was briefly made an advisor to the prime minister regarding issues concerning women’s welfare and social development before continuing in her ministerial portfolio.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Coudn’t BN get someone who did not practice corruption or nepotism as well, to condemn nepotism in Pakatan? Also BN has no critics of the lack of :

;even though BN has the mandate to grant the above. Good to point out Pakatan’s undemocratic nature, but Shahrizat being scandalised by recent condo/feed-lot issues, is a weak frontman to use against nepotistic Anwar.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 — Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud’s son is worth more than RM1 billion, his former daughter-in-law told a Syariah court here today, when justifying her claims for RM400 million in their divorce settlement.

Shahnaz Abdul Majid, who was married to Taib’s son, Datuk Seri Mahmud Abu Bekir Abdul Taib, is demanding RM100 million as mutaah (Islamic conciliatory payment) following their recent divorce, and a RM300 million share of joint matrimonial assets.

The couple had finalised their divorce in May 2011, after a long-drawn court battle in which Shahnaz is claiming a total of RM400 million as compensation.

Taib’s former daughter-in-law, Shahnaz Abdul Majid, is claiming that he has personal accounts in Canada, the United States, the Caribbean, France, Monaco, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Switzerland. — File picture
“He has personal accounts in Canada, the United States, the Caribbean, France, Monaco, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Switzerland,” Shahnaz was quoted by news portal Malaysiakini as saying today during the Islamic court proceeding, referring to Taib’s son Mahmud Abu Bekir.

“My claim of RM100 million in mutaah is small as he is worth in excess of RM1 billion. The RM100 million can be said to be worth 10 sen to him,” she was reported as adding.

Shahnaz, the sister of jazz queen Datuk Sheila Majid, was also reported to have said that her former husband has an estimated RM700 million deposited in 111 banking accounts worldwide.

She told the court that Mahmud Abu Bekir had squirreled away US$25 million (RM76.3 million) in two personal accounts in Luxembourg’s Edmond de Rothschild bank.

Her ex-husband also has several accounts with the same European bank in Switzerland with deposits of US$31 million, Shahnaz was reported saying.

Mahmud Abu Bekir also had several accounts with British banking giant HSBC — two in Jersey with US$34 million in deposits and one in Hong Kong with deposits of US$9.6 million in his name.

All these accounts have a combined value of US$100 million in deposits.

The divorce settlement proceedings are once again shining a light on the purported wealth of the Sarawak chief minister’s family at a time of growing scrutiny ahead of national polls.

In court papers filed during her divorce application, Shahnaz had sought to have Mahmud Abu Bekir’s assets — among which she listed seven luxury cars, thousands of hectares of land in Sarawak and shares in 15 companies — declared as joint property and for it be halved.

Shahnaz, who holds an MBA in Finance and was at one time a director of the family-owned CMSB, had previously said she wanted to end their marriage under the Islamic Family Law (Federal Territories) Act 1984 because her ex-husband had not given her “nafkah batin” since 2001.

The 49-year-old also accused Mahmud Abu Bekir of punching her in the head, face and eyes; kicking her in the ribs; and throttling her — in addition to verbally abusing her with derogatory words, and thereby causing emotional and mental stress.

The couple married on January 9, 1992 and have a son, Raden Murya Abdul Taib Mahmud, 18.

The case before Federal Territory Syariah High Court judge, Mohamad Abdullah, resumes on October 24.

;with the existing mandate BN has, the people might be busy enough celebrating than trying to replace BN for at least 1 term. But BN would rather keep the abusive policies in place and have the people kick BN out and PR will ensure BN goes to court and gets sued etc.. BN is a failure if BN does not grant the above 3 items with immediate effect.

ARTICLE 10

More find fight against corruption effective – 08 October 2012 | last updated at 08:42AM

He said a survey conducted by Transparency International last year found that 49 per cent of Malaysians felt that the government’s efforts in fighting corruption was effective compared with 29 per cent in 2009.

“I am certain that given time, Malaysia will be successful in its war against corruption and further improving public perception on the government’s anti-corruption efforts,” he said in his closing speech to more than 900 delegates at the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities conference and general meeting here.

Muhyiddin noted that in the nation’s aspiration for attaining developed status by 2020, fighting corruption would always be one of the main agendas.

“Addressing corruption is one of the seven National Key Result Areas.

“We believe that corruption must be eliminated to remove inefficiencies in the system, which will severely limit the country’s economic transformation and growth.”

He added that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the Education Ministry had begun efforts to include a module on integrity and corruption prevention in schools.

Muhyiddin, who is also education minister, said that creating awareness on graft in the younger generation would serve the country well and would go a long way in promoting economic prosperity and social wellbeing.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

More propaganda. Look at any Minister’s background then compare with anyone with similar backgrounds and educations that did not take up politics, then compare personal net worth today. Theres your corruption. That is why even MPs and Assemblymen cannot be allowed to hold seats for more than 1 term. War against corruption? More like propaganda war against Rakyat to keep the Rakyat in the dark about why Ministers are so rich (unlike Tunku Abdul Rahman) and everyone else has to work.

We cannot allow anyone to sit in power too long or they will become plutocrats and nepotists that write abusive and tax payer killing policy. All that bs about education is a lie. Every single Minister has enough to start their own University. From the taxpayer MONEY, Education-Financiar-Student-Debt Complex and compound interest on debt rather than a pay off loan as you earn (meaning the jobless beneficiaries of degrees do not pay or incur interest if they are not working – perhaps the University can be allowed to collect a flat 20% directly off the student’s paycheck by contacting the employer via new laws) AT 0% INTEREST, or even FREE EDUCATION which some of our greedier MPs have tried to prevent so as to protect the Education-Financiar-Student-Debt Complex and profit off the people. Tertiary education is free in MANY countries but not in Malaysia.

ARTICLE 11

Seeking the Right to Be Female in Malaysia – Saturday, 06 October 2012 admin-s

(The New York Times) – Nisha Ayub was jailed for three months after her first arrest for dressing as a woman 14 years ago. Ms. Nisha, who was 20 at the time, said prison wardens forced her to walk naked in front of the male inmates.

“It’s something I can’t forget until today,” she said.

The feminine figure dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, makeup carefully applied, drew little attention from other customers at the fast-food restaurant in Seremban, a city about an hour’s drive south of Kuala Lumpur.

The 26-year-old began wearing women’s clothing at age 13. Thanks to plastic surgery in neighboring Thailand, a daily dose of hormones and a feminine nickname, she is able to present herself as female to the outside world.

But her official identification card — which Malaysians must produce in dealings like job interviews — declares that her name is Adam Shazrul Bin Mohammad Yusoff and that she is male.

The discrepancy between her appearance and her officially recognized gender presents much more than just awkward moments in Malaysia, where Shariah, or Islamic law, bans Muslim men from dressing or posing as women.

Penalties differ in individual states, but in Negri Sembilan, where the 26-year-old lives, convicted offenders may be sentenced to up to six months in prison, fined as much as 1,000 ringgit, about $325, or both.

Tired of living in fear of prosecution, the 26-year-old — who has been arrested twice and was once fined 900 ringgit — and three other transgender people are challenging the law in the secular courts, arguing that it violates the Malaysian Constitution, which bans discrimination based on gender and protects freedom of expression.

A verdict in their case — the first time anyone has sought to overturn the law — is expected next Thursday.

“It’s for freedom — to be like everybody else, to wear what we like,” said the 26-year-old, explaining why she is taking part in the case. “This shouldn’t happen. It’s an unjust law. We are just human beings. We are not doing anything wrong.”

How about another 4 more articles : Seeking the Right to Be “Shemale”(or Transgender), “Lesbian”, “Bisexual” and “Gay” in Malaysia. All of these 4 groups ARE NOT WOMEN though post-operative Transexuals should indeed be considered women.

ARTICLE 12

A tough battle in Lembah Pantai – Sunday, 07 October 2012 Super Admin

SHOWDOWN: Barisan Nasional is going all out to wrest the hottest urban seat in Kuala Lumpur back from the opposition, which it won by a narrow margin in the 2008 general election, writes Carisma Kapoor
LEMBAH Pantai, a constituency in Kuala Lumpur held by Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar, is considered one of the hot seats in the next general election. Barisan Nasional will be fighting hard to win it back.

In the 2008 general election, Nurul defeated BN’s Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, who had held the seat since 1995, by a relatively narrow margin of 2,895 votes.

In a recent report, Raja Nong Chik conveyed his intention to contest the Lembah Pantai seat if he was among the candidates selected by BN.

Asked whether it would be a challenge to face Nurul, he said it would be but only because she was an incumbent member of parliament.

As someone who had grown up in the area, Raja Nong Chik, however, welcomed the challenge.

“I am confident of winning the seat based on my service record and relationships established over the past 25 years in the area, starting from my early days as an Umno Youth member,” he said.

His years of involvement in the local politics and issues of Lembah Pantai had helped him to understand better the needs of residents.

“I’m contesting so that I can serve the people, not for other interests. I walk the talk, unlike the opposition which criticises and walks away without offering any solutions,” he said, adding that even though he was not selected as a candidate in the 2004 general election, he had continued serving the Lembah Pantai residents.

Raja Nong Chik stressed that he had stated several times that the only seat he would like to contest was Lembah Pantai. This, despite being cautioned by some that the seat was “not safe for a minister”.

Raja Nong Chik’s game plan would include working hard, turun padang (going to the ground), listening to the people’s problems, resolving outstanding problems as well as facilitating better living and working conditions for people within and outside Lembah Pantai.

“More importantly, I will try to assist those in the area who have been left behind in developments,” he said, referring to the disabled, single mothers, pensioners, traders, low- and medium-cost flat dwellers, the sick and students.

On Nurul’s supporters who had spoken out about their preference that she contest in Permatang Pauh, Raja Nong Chik said the suggestion had come about because Nurul had not served her constituency for some time.

“Nurul has only become active recently because the election is coming.”

As for BN Lembah Pantai, he said members would fight any opposition candidate and thereafter join their colleagues to help Federal Territories and the rest of the country.

Raja Nong Chik, however, said it was up to the BN leadership to decide on whether to field him.

Nurul claimed that she was not only confident of retaining the Lembah Pantai seat but was also certain that the opposition would take control of Putrajaya.

She said the Election Commission had yet to implement the suggestions by the opposition and their allies for a free and fair election.

Nonetheless, Nurul said, the opposition would continue to participate in the election, highlight abuses and work towards getting at least 75 per cent voter turnout.

Nurul said “phantom busters” had been trained by the opposition to use cameraphones to take note of suspicious voters for legal action.

“We are advocating for international observers to view our electoral process.”

On her efforts to “win over” voters in the area, Nurul said apart from relating to the people, she represented their voices in a “new culture of politics”, where issues and not individuals drove legislation.

Responding to supporters who had preferred her to contest in Permatang Pauh, a seat held by her father, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the 32-year-old said she would obey her party even though she had indicated that she would like to remain with her supporters in Lembah Pantai. — (NST)

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

1 term left, prepare to GTFO of Dewan in 2016. No useful policy ratified so far. . . . the 32-year-old said she would obey her party . . . Party? Nurul means, Father rather? Pakatan Rakyat politics runs like a family business. No statesmen there in Pakatan Rakyat, vote 3rd Force instead!

More questions have been raised on the ever-ballooning construction cost of low-cost carrier terminal or KLIA2, after the price shot up by 135 percent or RM4 billion from the original RM1.7 billion.

Lembah Pantai member of parliament Nurul Izzah Anwar said the Transport ministry’s refusal to come clean on the matter strengthened the perception that the planning and execution of KLIA2 had not been transparent.

KLIA2 has also over its Traffic Modernization Programme (ATMOP) for air traffic control, which according Nurul, has been awarded to ENAV S.p.A, a consultant and air traffic control system supplier company.

The PKR vice president had earlier disclosed that the faulty radar MIP-2 system was jointly developed by Advanced Air Traffic System (M) Sdn Bhd (AAT) and SELEX at the National Air Traffic Control Centre (NATCC) in Subang airport.

“Is it not conflict of interest as (ENAV’s partner) SELEX is also a supplier to air traffic control system?” she asked, citing clauses 29.1 and 33.1 of the agreement between ENAV and Department of Civil Aviation (DCA).

Under 29.1 and 33.1, a consultant must obey all Malaysian laws including procurement and must not be directly involved in any business.

Due to this, Nurul said ENAV and SELEX were prone to bias in its procurement selection and questioned whether ENAV was clearly absolved from any business activities.

She also revealed that the ceiling price of ATMOP was RM27 million as specified under clause 1.4. However, ENAV had announced the project would cost RM40 million (10 million euro).

“So which is true?” she asked.

Prior to this, AirAsia group chief executive Tony Fernandes had hit out at the escalating construction cost of KLIA2.

-Harakahdaily

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Political parties must not only be whistle blowers which any investigative journalist can do, but also end apartheid. Nurul could be a crypto-racist that is great at being a whistleblower (ending corruption is good but keeping the apartheid of bumiputra in place is bad), meaning 40% of the nation still cannot vote for Nurul (despite corruption which is intended to end but probably will not end). Does Nurul believe in :

(The Star) – The feud between Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and his party boss Azmin Ali has worsened with more Pakatan Rakyat leaders joining in the fray to chide the PKR deputy president.

The latest Pakatan leader to do so is DAP chairman Karpal Singh who reminded Azmin that he was not in any position to unilaterally announce anything affecting the coalition, including on who should be the Selangor mentri besar if the coalition retained power in the state.

“Azmin has exceeded the bounds of opinion, because this matter is beyond PKR. It involves the Pakatan Rakyat leadership,” Karpal said yesterday.

Karpal was asked to comment on Azmin’s recent statement in a Malay daily that implied that Khalid would not be re-appointed as Mentri Besar should Pakatan retain power in Selangor.

Azmin had said that Khalid’s services were needed at the federal level if Pakatan succeeded in capturing Putrajaya.

Karpal said it was not proper for Azmin to express such an opinion because the decision was not in the hands of PKR alone.

PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali also affirmed that the matter was never discussed at the Pakatan Rakyat leadership council meetings.

He had described Azmin as “over ambitious” for making such a statement.

PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s former private secretary, Annuar Shaari also said the feud between Azmin and Khalid had always been an “open secret” within the party circle.

“Azmin had wanted the mentri besar’s post in 2008, but he kept silent after Anwar convinced him they could take over Putrajaya in 2009,” he said.

He said it was also known that PKR president Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was not in favour of Azmin, while her husband Anwar favoured him.

Khalid’s political secretary Faekah Husin said Azmin had prematurely dropped the bomb.

She said Khalid had laughed off the matter because he did not mind whether he was fielded or dropped from the list of candidates in the next elections.

In an unrelated development, Khalid admitted that some PKR members still found fault with the party and doubted the viability of Pakatan.

“This is happening because the members are more concerned about their own interests. This is not right. We should show more maturity towards attaining the party’s goals,” he said at the opening of the party’s Kuala Selangor division’s annual general meeting in Ijok yesterday.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Better this form of non-in-family politics than the presumptuousness in family bloc politics that Karpal has caused and thinks the Rakyat do not notice. Want to be a Maharaja? They are all in INDIA and probably ashamed of Karpal for not speaking against apartheid. GTFO of Dewan, 2 terms over for Karpal family who dares not challenge the apartheid of bumiputra but prevents REAL MPs from taking power (2 term limits!) to change laws!

INFIGHTING- Began since Azmin took over as state PKR liaison head, says ex-Anwar aide

THE ongoing ‘spat’ between Parti Keadilan Rakyat deputy president Azmin Ali and Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim proves that the former wants “total control” over the administration of the state.

Former private secretary to PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Anuar Shaari said this became evident when Azmin took over Khalid’s position as the state’s PKR liaison chairman two years ago.

“Therefore, I am not surprised with this infighting that has been going on in the Selangor PKR. This is no longer a secret,” he said in a statement.

“How could they govern the country when even at the state level they are already fighting over positions? The ‘people’s supremacy’ they claim to champion is a slogan of hypocrisy.”

The controversy first started when a Malay daily reported Azmin as saying that the Selangor menteri besar could be replaced and Khalid would be appointed as federal minister if opposition coalition won the next general election.

The war of words then escalated when Khalid’s political secretary, Faekah Husin made a statement in an online portal, saying that Azmin did not have the authority to decide on Khalid’s post.

“Who is Azmin to make such a deduction? I don’t know what drove him to come up with that statement,” she was reported as saying.

Azmin, who is said to be vying for the position of Selangor menteri besar, however accused the Malay daily of “misreporting”, but this was later denied by the newspaper.

However, the focus was shifted to Faekah, when Selangor National Leadership Council deputy president Zuraida Kamaruddin criticised Faekah for her “disparaging” comments against Azmin.

Zuraidah, who is a known Azmin ally was reported last Saturday to have said that she was “very disappointed” over the “unnecessary comments” and suggested that Faekah break the communication wall between her and Azmin over the matter.

“As an effective political secretary to the MB, Faekah should concentrate on improving the political relationship between the MB and party leaders and not cause instability by unnecessarily jumping the gun,” said Zuraidah.

However, former PKR leader Zamil Ibrahim was of the opinion that Faekah was made a “scapegoat” and that she should not be blamed for making such a statement.

He claimed that the clash had always been between Azmin and PKR president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, instead of Khalid.

He explained that it was Wan Azizah who positioned Faekah as the political secretary to “spy” on Azmin as the Gombak member of parliament “never received the blessings from the party president”.

“Faekah used to work with Wan Azizah, and she was put there for a purpose as the president didn’t want Azmin to have control over the state.”

Zamil added that it was known within the party that Khalid would not be in the PKR’s election candidates list as he held no top position in PKR Selangor, except as a Kuala Selangor division chief.

He also said Zuraida should not question Faekah over her statement as it was akin to questioning the president’s choices.

– New Straits Times

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

2 terms then GTFO of Dewan. Control, especially in politics is an illusion. This is politics, as in a political party with disposable 2 term limited candidates, not a Sultanate. 90% of Pakatan’s Campaign Promises Still Unkept. GTFO of Dewan and stop fighting on the taxpayer’s monthly funding! Anyone up to a no-confidence motion to remove MPs who LIED and did not keep campaign promises?

BRUSSELS, Oct. 4, 2012 (Reuters) — Regulators and operators should act now to improve safety at nuclear power plants, the EU energy commissioner said on Thursday, following inspections across the European Union.
European Energy Commissioner Gunther Oettinger speaks at a news conference on the EU Nuclear Stress Tests in Brussels October 4, 2012. REUTERS/Yves Herman

The stress tests, carried out in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster, found safety improvements costing between 10 billion ($12.90 billion) and 25 billion euros were necessary in European plants, a draft seen by Reuters showed this week.

“We therefore think that we should talk together with operators and regulatory authorities to act rapidly so that the highest possible standards can be guaranteed very soon.”

One of the lessons of Fukushima was that two natural disasters could strike at the same time and knock out the electrical supply system of a plant completely, so it could not be cooled down.

The stress tests sought to avert any repeat of that series of events by establishing whether nuclear plants can withstand natural disasters, aircraft crashes and management failures, as well as whether adequate systems are in place to deal with power disruptions.

Among the findings were that on-site seismic instruments should be installed or improved in 121 reactors.

In addition, 24 reactors did not have a back-up emergency room in case the main control room became uninhabitable.

LIMITS OF EU POWER

Because EU authorities do not have power to determine the energy mix of member states, the stress tests were voluntary, but Oettinger said they would not just be “put in a drawer”.

“We are at the beginning of a new European safety dynamic,” he said.

He confirmed the Commission would follow up with legislative proposals early next year to enhance safety.

The proposals would include insurance and liability, but Oettinger said it was not yet clear what that might mean for electricity bills.

Austria, which banned nuclear plants in 1974, said the stress tests were “good, but not good enough”.

Rebecca Harms, a Green member of the European Parliament, told Reuters Television the stress tests report had dodged the tough questions, but said they had still served to highlight the problems.

“Mr Oettinger has done the debate on lacking security standards a great favor,” she said.

She added that the tests had “produced a handsome list of deficiencies, showing that there is a large deficit of security standards in every country that runs nuclear power plants”.

ASN, the nuclear regulator in France, which relies on atomic energy for about 75 percent of its power, was highly critical of the report, saying “some important recommendations had been ignored”.

It has already said France needs to invest billions of euros.

The chief inspector of Britain’s nuclear plants, Mike Weightman, who also made recommendations for improvements after Fukushima, said: The stress test process was a valuable exercise, reinforcing the conclusions we had reached here in the UK”.

(Additional reporting by Oliver Denzer; Michael Shields in Vienna; Marion Douet in Paris; editing by William Hardy and Jason Neely)

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

No power? Rubbish. If a nuclear plant in some 3rd world trash heap or corrupted 1st world colluding cut corner type nation is going to irradiate the world destroying ecosystems and humanity eventually, the UN should send peacekeepers to dismantle the nuke plant and bury all nuclear parts and place bans on that nation. Hear that peacekeepers? When that nuke plant blows, nothing on the planet will be left unirradiated, INCLUDING the UN peacekeepers’ families. Nuclear is too messy and likely spiritually wrong. Switch to solar or fusion instead and not worry about storage of nuclear waste and terrorists targeting nukes.

(CNN) – Mitt Romney said he was “completely wrong” when he argued that nearly half of Americans were “victims” and dependent on government.

The admission came Thursday as the GOP presidential candidate sought to clarify his controversial “47%” comments.

– Follow the Ticker on Twitter: @PoliticalTicker

– Check out the CNN Electoral Map and Calculator and game out your own strategy for November.

“Clearly in a campaign with hundreds if not thousands of speeches and question-and-answer sessions, now and then you’re going to say something that doesn’t come out right,” Romney said on Fox News. “In this case, I said something that’s just completely wrong.”

Last month, secretly recorded video of Romney at a May fundraiser showed the Republican candidate saying 47% of Americans will vote for President Barack Obama “no matter what.”

“There are 47% who are with him, who are dependent on government, who believe that, that they are victims, who believe that government has the responsibility to care for them. Who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing.”

Romney ads: U.S. can’t afford four more years of Obama

The non-partisan Tax Policy Center estimates that for tax year 2011, 46% of households will end up owing nothing in federal income taxes. But if payroll taxes are counted, the number of non-payer households drops precipitously – to an estimated 18% in 2011.

Adding to his argument about entitlement, Romney said his “job is not to worry about those people.”

“I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives,” he added.

“What I have to do is convince the 5 percent to 10 percent in the center that are independents, that are thoughtful.”

After the videos, which were posted on the progressive news website Mother Jones, caught fire, Romney called a last-minute press conference with pool reporters while he was in California at the time.

The former Massachusetts governor acknowledged the comments were “off the cuff” and “not elegantly stated,” but he defended the main point of the message, saying he was criticizing the increasing size of government and entitlement programs.

“We have a very different approach – the president and I – between a government-dominated society and a society driven by free people pursuing their dreams,” Romney said.

The following day, Romney still stuck by his comments and elaborated on the logistical reasoning behind his remarks.

With Ryan by his side, Romney rallies Virginians in debate victory lap

“We were of course talking about a campaign and how he is going to get close to half the vote,” Romney said. “I’m going to get half the vote, I hope, I want to get 50.1% or more. Frankly we have two very different views about America.”

In the first presidential debate Wednesday, Obama surprised political observers by not going after Romney on the comments, as he has on the campaign trail in the last two weeks.

On Fox News Thursday night, Romney was asked what he would have said if the president had brought up the controversial statements–which is when the GOP nominee went as far as to say he was “wrong.”

He then argued that, if elected, he would represent all Americans, not just half.

“I absolutely believe, however, that my life has shown that I care about 100% and that’s been demonstrated throughout my life. And this whole campaign is about the 100%. When I become president, it will be helping the 100%.”

What’s your reaction to Mitt Romney saying his secretly recorded comment that nearly half of Americans were victims dependent on government was “completely wrong?” Share your thoughts below or using the hashtag #47percent.

The 1%, even the top 70% of citizens do not need any caring for. And no government can care for 100% of the population. 47% is being very generous! Priority should be given to the bottom 30% or even 10% at the bottom, and with no care at all for the top 70% especially less so the top 1%, simply because the top 70% (far more so the 1%) won’t feel any surfeit without care either, nor would they want any ‘condescending’ and ‘indebting’ care which any common sense person or ethical person would not want to partake of to not be indebted to the state to not make the state feel entitled to RULE them as citizens rather than administer.

This is also why term limits need to be introduced at ALL government careerist politician posts and seats, simply to prevent the term limitless to take the role of Santa Claus from monies which actually come from the taxpayers who are already doing economic national service as opposed to those sequestering wealth from circulating in the system or worse still sending that money to overseas microstate tax havens like Singapore and Lietchtenstein or any banana republic or oil republic nations!

ARTICLE 3

The Concept of Civilization – September 27, 2012 | By Xavier Bartlett – Waking Times

We all have an idea about the meaning of the word “civilization”: a concept that we use to relate to a complex, advanced society like the current one on Earth, but also ancient cultures which flourished centuries ago, leaving us with a splendid legacy. If we focus primarily on the social sciences, the term civilization is used to indicate a high state of progress – a certain level of social, cultural, political, economic and technological evolution that differentiates us from early cultures as well as current primitive communities that stay more or less isolated from what we call the modern world. Nevertheless, we must take into account that the word civilization can be also used in a broader sense: to denote the set of ideas, knowledge, values, institutions and achievements of a society at a certain time.

The idea that civilization equates to the summit of human development is long established in our history and relates directly to the rise of cities and states. However, with the triumph of evolutionism as a scientific theory, this definition was cemented; evolutionism not only impacted the natural sciences, but also greatly affected the social sciences such as history, archeology and anthropology. Thus, the most remote human past began to be explained not in religious or mythical terms, but under a scientific pattern: from the origin of man until the outbreak of civilization which took place more than 5,000 years ago in Mesopotamia and Egypt.

Archaeological record demonstrates that early humans practiced nomadism for many thousands of years and had a simple —though not easy— life as hunter-gatherers. However, at the end of the last Ice Age (circa 10,000 BC) a radical change occurred and the human population entered a stage of progressive settlement that altered their strategy for survival: in addition to hunting and gathering, men began to domesticate plants and animals, thus becoming farmers and shepherds. Archeologist Gordon V. Childe called this process the “Neolithic Revolution”. And, between 4000 and 3000 BC, after a few millennia of Neolithic communities which had been developing in several areas of the world, the first known civilizations appeared, first in Mesopotamia and soon after in Egypt. Some centuries later, civilization emerged strongly in other parts of the world: the Indus Valley, China and finally the New World.

This new breakthrough, the so called “Urban Revolution”, was characterized by several milestones:

Population was divided into small rural villages and large settlements which eventually became cities.
A centralized religious-political power grew in the cities, achieving control over vast areas and thus creating the first state structures. Administrative apparatus and legal doctrines were created as a support for these structures.
The surplus of resources promoted growth and economic exchange, leading to the development of trade.
Society was stratified in several levels; there was a progressive specialization of work, especially in the urban environment.
Systems of writing appeared as a means of recording and managing information (a factor that eventually led to the creation of predominant historical cultures).
There was significant progress in science and technique in general, particularly in terms of practical application. An important material culture was developed in various arts and industries.

This process charts mankind’s drastic change from primitive existence into a complex world of increasing material welfare: man now controlled and exploited his surroundings, transforming them into a somewhat artificial environment.

There is no doubt that every new civilization established itself by building on the legacy of its predecessors and raising itself to new heights. Mesopotamia and Egypt were unrivalled in their own times, but in the fifth century BC Classical Greece arose and brought with it democracy, art, philosophy and science. Athens, and later Rome, spread civilization throughout the Mediterranean Sea, forever changing the face of Europe. And finally, this classical legacy built the foundations of the modern Western civilization, initially fostered in Europe and later carried further by America. This is the civilization we have now, which reaches all corners of the globe; though there are still countless different cultures with their own customs and values, the Western civilization has inarguably permeated and altered even the furthest of these.

This historical review may lead us to conclude that civilization is the logical progression of mankind from a state of mere subsistence to a complex culture in which scientific and technological progressions enable a much easier standard of living. However, we should question whether we should really consider progress and civilization to be synonymous. There is no doubt that evolutionary ideology enhanced the idea that man progresses through history and therefore some societies are superior to others simply because they are civilized. Nineteenth century anthropology proposed a simple classification of human cultures: savagery (hunter-gatherers), barbarism (farmers and shepherds) and civilization (the man of the urban environment). Similarly, archeology created a system of ages based on technology and certain material achievements. These categorizations would only allow us to conclude that the older a society is, the more primitive, and the more primitive, the more undesirable. Cultural evolutionism defended the notion that man moves naturally to a higher stage, and this is the desirable goal for all human beings; civilization represents progress, and the higher degree of civilization, the higher degree of progress for everyone. However, we must question this presumption and ask whether the evolutionary paradigm, first developed in the West during a period of marked eurocentrism, is compromised when applied to the history of civilizations.

History demonstrates that societies who considered themselves to be “civilized” did not hesitate to impose their own custom and value systems on those “wild” people and societies that they considered less evolved. Though this behavior is perhaps most relatable to European colonialism, it is evident in very different contexts, throughout history and all over the world. For example, the admired Aztec civilization is also renowned for its heavy handed imperialism and for the mass human sacrifices which horrified the Spanish conquistadors; and yet, it is documented that when the Aztecs became the conquered, they too were subjected to abuse, genocide and slavery by the so called “civilized” Spanish. Therefore, it could be said that cultural evolutionism is just a qualification “in scientific terms” of this long-established imperialist attitude. Global imperialism was justified in this way with the belief that the spread of “civilization” meant progress for all, even though the means was often marked by extreme abuses to those this “progress” was imposed upon. Indeed, civilization has not been an easy ride, because in most cases it has involved a political-economic conquest – often by force of arms – which has radically changed lifestyles and created new problems to overlay supposed existing problems.

The echo of this civilized aggression is still heard today in the cry of resistance of many indigenous communities to their cultural invaders all over the world. Instead of seeing the “benefits” of civilization, these people see only the loss of their own beliefs and traditions, and as seems common to all, the loss of their intimate bond with Earth and nature. However, it is important not to idealize a certain myth of the noble savage nor condemn the wonders which civilization has brought: the works of Virgil, the Taj Mahal, Rembrandt’s pictures or Puccini’s operas. And yet, in spite of recognizing many positive or desirable outcomes of civilization, it is impossible not to feel some uneasiness, from a historical perspective, at its great contradictions: the wars, genocide, intolerance, poverty, corruption, destruction and persecution which have resulted in its name.

If we concede that man progresses, how can we equate this with the 20th century’s “civilized” world which has suffered two brutal world wars with millions of victims? Are Hiroshima and Nagasaki symbols of civilization? How could an advanced and “civilized” nation such as modern Germany could fall into the moral barbarism of Nazism? Is the global pollution and irrational use of natural resources civilized behavior? Can the complex international financial system be the solution to the crisis created by itself? And why is this world civilization, with many international organizations, incapable of ending the famine and poverty in so many countries? In short, how can we talk about civilization if, for so many, the human condition has not substantially improved since the time of the Pharaohs? The accumulation of knowledge and material achievements for the privileged minority cannot justify an apparent lack of spiritual progress and human empathy. A voice that resonates inside us tells us that this cannot be civilization.

Now we’re getting to the heart of the question. In order to discover a new vision of the concept of civilization we must leave our Western rational mind and find another approach to study human existence. The writer and Egyptologist John Anthony West has a radically different definition of civilization:

“By civilisation I mean a society organised upon the conviction that mankind is on earth for a purpose. In a civilisation, men are concerned with the quality of the innerlife rather than with the conditions of day to day existence.” (West, J.A. Serpent in the Sky. p. 6)

Indeed, West presents a key point: the true meaning of human existence goes beyond the material world that surrounds us, it begins within the boundaries of our own skin. Neither science nor history have been able to provide real answers to philosophy’s great questions: Who are we? Where do we come from? What happens when we die? From the evolutionist point of view, there is no order or defined purpose, only chance. And chance determines what we perceive in the universe through our five senses. Man is just another animal, a physical being that shares a high percentage of DNA with chimps. But it is our differences from animals, those intellectual and rational attributes that make us human, that may lead us to question the idea of consciousness. We cannot deny that man needs food and shelter as other living beings, but he also asks questions and seeks answers about his own existence.

In this civilized world of immediate satisfaction, we think that having a powerful car, a new cell phone or a 3D TV means our lifestyle is far superior to that of indigenous people living in the deep jungle. It is true, we have more possessions, but does this equate to more happiness? Beyond this material wealth, humans still live and die as they did two, three or five thousand years ago. Civilization, as a frame of human existence in the past 5,000 years, has not only failed to connect us to our inner being, but is still unable to erase all of the problems our species faces.

In fact, the development of civilization has offered us several political-economic systems (including revolutions) which have tried to improve human existence, but they have not been successful. Perhaps this is because they have not reached the heart of the matter: man must first be transformed inside in order to change the world around him. Again and again we have seen philosophers and politicians make the same mistake when seeking to create a utopia. Thus, socialist ideology, which should have released humanity from the evils of western civilization, became a monster that forced men and women to live a materialistic and oppressive existence. Communism in the USSR demonstrates this clearly: thisworkers’ paradise was a totalitarian state that created its own imperialist policy all around the globe and was involved in several major wars from 1917 to 1991. At the end, the freedom of its people was hugely limited; they suffered very poor living conditions and terrible periods of political repression.

So, we see that civilization, in many forms throughout history, has completely failed to eliminate the selfishness and apparent need for confrontation that are at root of so many of humanity’s problems. Moreover, the arrival of capitalism in the recent centuries has only enhanced these negative attributes to land us in our current climate of consumerism and free economy where, while millions suffer famine around the world, huge quantities of food are destroyed in “civilized” countries in order to control the prices in the stock market. If we look at it like this, it is clear that somewhere along the line the evolution of civilization has gone very wrong; it hasn’t been able to improve the happiness of humanity at large, and it has not been able to provide a decent standard of living for all, instead it has just greatened the distance between rich and poor and increased the depths of human selfishness.

On the other hand, if we consider civilization as a set of values, knowledge, beliefs or products of a society, it is clear that the present world is really very complex and sometimes incomprehensible to the average citizen who has no idea of the final destination of human development. The modern civilized world looks like an astounding technological façade with no values or spirit behind it, except the materialist motivations. In this context, a growing sense of apathy and bewilderment seizes modern society. We cannot understand why one day we are fortunate and the next we have nothing, while many people grow up having nothing at all, not even hope. The multiple forms of corruption only increase this feeling of astonishment and indignation.

Now that we have all seen this scenario, perhaps it’s time to raise fearlessly a new vision, one where we have the right to judge and reject the “civilized world” for directly undermining the moral essence of man. And yet, the lack of obvious alternative to civilization impedes this change: people can only foresee a return to barbarism if we cast it off. But what could be worse than the barbarisms that we see in our world today? Are we blind to the things that are happening around us as long as we live a comfortable life? Isn’t this just more of the same selfishness and individualism?

The transformation of civilization it’s not about any kind of revolution, but about changing our focus from matter to spirit. Thus, in order to live in harmony with everyone and with our environment, in the mythical realm of the so-called “Golden Age”, we must transform our conscience. The first step in this global shift should be a personal commitment in our public and private behavior to live in alignment with love, dignity, solidarity, decency, honesty, and sincerity. Only then will humanity be on the right path, in a world that will not perhaps require large cities or flashy gadgets, but will give harmony to human communities and spiritual meaning to our lives.

This article was originally featured at GrahamHancock.com forum, an inspiring resource and conversation depot.

Leave the ‘private behaviour to live in alignment with . . . ‘ zinger out of this article and the article would be near perfect. Common sense is that . . . love, dignity, solidarity, decency, honesty, and sincerity . . . vary from private AND consensual communities to others living their own . . . love, dignity, solidarity, decency, honesty, and sincerity . . . standard. If a bunch of people like BDSM or LGBT and cannibalism or limb hacking (Hudud Syariah Islam), perhaps overloud blaring of loudspeaker prayers as well, or any combination of the above (a gay Muslim? A cannibal Nudist?) AND also voluntarily and consciously assent to their *own version* of ‘mainstream love, dignity, solidarity, decency, honesty, and sincerity . . . ‘lifestyle in body mind and spirit and want their own districts or even cities (some nudist colonies already exist), as a civilised society, those of the ‘ ‘mainstream love, dignity, solidarity, decency, honesty, and sincerity . . . ‘lifestyle in body mind and spirit,’ AS PER civilisation and Voltarian mindsets, leave these people alone to their own preference and allow them spaces too.

Christiana Figueres, the executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), is the most senior official and negotiator in the UN climate change treaty system, and comes from a family dynasty steeped in the arts of politics and diplomacy.

Her father, Jose Figueres Ferrer, served three terms as president of the Central American nation of Costa Rica.

Her mother, Karen Olsen Beck, served as Costa Rica’s ambassador to Israel and was later elected a member of her country’s legislative assembly.

Her older brother, Jose Figueres Olsen, is also a past president of Costa Rica and her younger brother, Mariano Figueres Olsen, is currently active in politics.
NM Christian Figueres

The 55-year-old mother of two daughters is married to German-born Konrad von Ritter, a former head of the World Bank’s sustainable development unit.

She speaks Spanish, English and German, and is now based permanently in Bonn, Germany.

Figueres, who will play a key role in the COP17 negotiations in Durban, has worked as a private-sector consultant on carbon trading and has more than a decade of experience in previous climate talks as a member of the Costa Rican climate change negotiating team.

She grew up in Costa Rica in a farming community founded by her father and learned German at the Humboldt Schule.

Figueres later studied in England and the United States, graduating with a degree in anthropology from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in social anthropology from the London School of Economics.

She began her public service career in 1982 as a minister counsellor at the embassy of Costa Rica in Bonn, where she was responsible for negotiating the terms of technical assistance and development finance.

Returning to Costa Rica in 1987, she was appointed director of international co-operation in the Ministry of Planning and helped to negotiate financial and technical agreements with eight European countries.

A year later she became chief of staff to the minister of agriculture, before moving to Washington with her husband, who worked at the World Bank. She re-entered professional life in the mid-1990s, founding the Centre for Sustainable Development of the Americas, a think-tank promoting the participation of Latin American countries in the UN climate change treaty system.

She also helped to prepare several greenhouse gas reduction projects in the energy and industry sectors, and from 2007 to 2009 represented Latin America as vice-president of the Bureau of the UN Climate Convention.

She was also closely involved in the design and promotion of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), the carbon-trading offshoot scheme of the Kyoto Protocol, which allows developed nations to “offset” their greenhouse gas emissions in developing nations.

She has served as a member of the CDM executive board, advised several private-sector carbon-trading companies such as C Quest Capital, and was also a board member of Winrock International, which oversees the voluntary American Carbon Registry.

She was appointed to her current position as executive secretary of the UNFCCC early last year, taking over from Yvo de Boer of the Netherlands.

What is her role in the COP17 negotiations?

In a recent press briefing, Figueres described her main function as a facilitator “helping to kick the ball forward” during the Durban talks and to provide support to the host nation in reaching further agreements.

What are some of her expectations for the Durban talks?

“Climate change is possibly the largest challenge humanity has ever faced, but every conference of the parties is only a step in the right direction.

“We have to chart a path as we move forward. This journey has not been mapped before and every country will have to walk down that path together.

“What is needed is scale and speed.

“What we have done until now has been insufficient. It has been slow. Governments know this, but it is not only the responsibility of governments to move forward.

“The private sector needs to step up and provide the inputs they can. So must civil society.”

“Governments are the steering wheel on climate change, but in many instances the private sector is the motor which drives towards the targets.”

What is her own country doing to tackle climate change?

“Costa Rica produces only 0.001 percent of global greenhouse emissions. Yet we have taken on the target of carbon neutrality by 2021. We have taken the decision that it is every country’s moral responsibility to reduce carbon as much as possible.

“But we are not the only one. There is a growing sense that everyone can contribute to the solution, but in a differentiated manner.”

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Ever so obtusely nepotistic this personae appears to be. Perhaps she may be doing good work and her father was a truly utopian man on the ‘remove military’ issue, but Christiana should know that if this very post she is working at is due in any part to association, the right thing to do would be to leave after 2 terms equivalent VOLUNTARILY. UN salaries are princely sums and in as early as 2 terms anyone holding such posts could retire AND RIGHTLY SHOULD as there are many who could do with the experience with the opportunity to participate (we do not need UN Oligarchs holding posts like careerists, while so many equally qualified need both the job and the money for 2 terms). The ethical and moral thing should be clear for one with such a high minded policy background as Christiana’s.

This is as much everyone else’s world as Christiana’s to administer via the UN (and those plush jobs with perhaps overfat salaries) and by this very egalitarian and utopian thinking that would remove an entire military, 1 term per top level national academic/bureaucrat from aan appropriate portfolio, should be well and fine enough for anyone. The last thing we need is ‘UN Personalities’ preventing everyone else from having that job, more so being progeny of one of the world’s presidents even ministers. There is nothing worse than this form of ‘indirect nepotism’. Let there be a succcession of 1 term administrators at 1 four year term each and in 40 years and only 10 people would have had an opportunity to participate at the UN. Is this democratic? A BUREAUCRAT JUNTA forms at the UN, and Christiana cannot want to be representative of a Junta of any sort now can she? Christiana what say you?

Every citizen can militarise without a single cent spent with 2nd Amendment Rights and a healthy gun culture. Who needs to pay for a military? As for drills and discipline, that can be a weekend or evening hobby thing. But to take funds from taxpayers without their assent and via force of a mob minded politicians? Undemocratic! Save the cash and liberalise and dignify fellow citizens by allowing them the right to own weapons or opt outs and abstention from what would be forced conscriptions (bully and junta culture if anything), also only freemen carried weapons, the rest who did not were SERFS.

ARTICLE 5

Chinese Netizen Speaks Out: “China Spending As Much on Calming Civil Unrest As US on War Effort” – Sep 28, 2012 by Philip Kendall

Even putting current tensions between the country and Japan aside for the moment, China has seen a great deal of civil unrest in recent months. With citizens losing faith in their government, and the gap between the poor and the wealthy seemingly growing ever larger, it is little wonder that protests and riots are occurring more and more frequently.

At the end of June, pictures emerged of clashes between residents and armed police in the Canton region. It later become clear that the riot occurred following little more than a scuffle between two boys from neighbouring towns that got out of hand. Angry that men from the first boy’s town had entered into the argument, adults from the second boy’s town also became involved, and the spat quickly grew out of hand with thousands of locals eventually becoming involved in the fray.

During last week’s incredibly heated anti-Japanese demonstrations in China, images came forth of Chinese attacking and looting stores that bore no relation to Japan whatsoever. Of course, there’s a lot that can be said about the effects of mob mentality, and it’s easy for people, especially those who feel that they have been dealt an injustice by those in power and the wealthy, to become swept up in the mayhem.

As some of you may recall, in perhaps one of the country’s lowest moments, England saw three days of riots and mob violence in several major cities during the summer of 2011. What initially began as a protest in response to the shooting by police of a young man in London soon became violent, and within a matter of hours the streets were lost to thugs and petty criminals who mugged, robbed and smashed whatever and whomever they met.

When asked what their motivation was for such acts of senseless violence, many, particularly from poorer areas of the country, attempted to justify their behaviour by arguing that they received little-to-no support from the authorities, and that the areas in which they lived were run-down and often entirely forgotten by the government. Few would agree that reasons such as these justify their behaviour, but civil unrest, it would seem, is not an issue that China alone is facing.

China, however, is notoriously protective of its information, making it difficult for those of us outside the country to grasp the state or scale of the situation behind the great firewall beyond drip-fed images of protests and clashes.

So on September 19, when a Chinese internet user posted a message revealing the severity of the situation and posting some shocking figures relating to the Chinese government’s recent expenditure, it understandably made headlines.

“At this moment in time, the Chinese government is thought to be spending approximately eighty billion US dollars per year on issues of civil unrest and calming outbursts of this kind.”

The figure, although obviously huge, is difficult to visualise until the unnamed internet user presents us with an utterly mind-boggling comparison:

“If this level of spending continues, in five years China will have spent as much on dealing with its own civil unrest and local security as the US on its recent war budget.”

Shocking isn’t the word…

‘Love you long time . . . ‘ fading possibility if USA burns out in the Middle East . . . Don’t blame China then! Twas the Muslet!

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

8 billion USD? Thats 24 billion Yuan. So that means the PRC from a propaganda/citizen appeasement fund alone, could make 24,000 millionaires yearly by direct distribution or make 48,000 ‘retire capable’ families yearly for an average of 100 to 200 thousand people pulled out of poverty. In 10 years 2 million people would be brought out of poverty directly into wealth or up to 10 million into the lower middle class. China will reach America’s poor suburb standards in 100 years at the current wealth growth rate IF there are no middlemen in the wealth distribution, massive increases in population, or wastage in propaganda expenditure (i.e. printing leaflets, holding meaningless feel good meetings etc..

Incidentally, USA spends 90 billion for education alone. So that means the USA could make 240,000 millionaires yearly by direct distribution instead of putting funds through the middle man bureaucracy – never mind that there are no degree holders in USA – or make 480,000 ‘retire capable’ families yearly for an average of 1 to 2 million people pulled out of poverty. In 10 years 20 million people would be brought out of poverty directly into wealth or up to 100 million into the lower middle class. USA will reach be poor sub-urb standards in 100 years at the current wealth growth rate IF there are no middlemen in the wealth distribution, massive increases in population, or wastage in propaganda expenditure (i.e. printing leaflets, holding meaningless feel good meetings etc.. or wars.

USA is already secure, but military adventurism and labour costs could be still destroy jobs. Suggest that MEDICINE be propagated as a free course so that healthcare will become virtually free and at very least removing compound interest for housing loans with options to complete payments over next generation or instead of foreclosures, having them be required to offer rooms to the civil servants as a form of national service that offsets or cancels debt at in liewu of payment. So think before foreclosing and displace and destroy communities. Thats just a home an education which should not have middleman parasites.

Would one prefer to be a degree holder or a millionaire? Would a citizen prefer ththat the Education-Financiar-Srudent-Debt Complex control society or that there be millionaires of every citizen? The plutocracy has abuses all those who are not millionaires, can only abuse degree holders who are not millionaires but loaded with debt – better a millionaire than a degree holder at compound interest and debt slavery in finaly, at the mercy of employers! The US government can dignify ALL citizens with the nation’s wealth not betray citizens to a a handful of ’employers’ or a handful of Univeersities which churn out degree holders with debt into a society woth no jobs, might as well liquidate the Education-Financiar-Student-Debt Complex and enrich the citizens directly by distribution of land and monies intended for ‘education’.

TOKYO- The shaky global economy needs Japan and China to be fully engaged, the head of the IMF said, warning the world could not afford for the two countries to be distracted by their bitter territorial row.

Speaking to Japanese media ahead of the annual IMF meeting in Tokyo next week, Christine Lagarde said the two economic powerhouses needed to show a bit of neighbourly tolerance for the good of the whole world.

“Both China and Japan are key economic drivers that do not want to be distracted by territorial division,” Kyodo News agency quoted Lagarde as telling reporters in Washington, in an interview published on Wednesday.

“The current status of the economy and the global economy needs both Japan and China fully engaged,” she said.

China and Japan, the world’s second and third largest economies, are at loggerheads over a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea.

Tokyo administers the chain under the name Senkakus, but they are claimed by Beijing, which calls them the Diaoyus.

Chinese government ships regularly venture into waters around the islands, routinely ignoring orders to leave by Japanese coastguard vessels.

Increasingly vitriolic diplomatic exchanges, including at the United Nations in New York last week, and mass anti-Japanese protests in several Chinese cities have further unsettled the pair’s already fractious relationship.

Japanese firms operating in China were forced to shutter or scale back their operations when mobs attacked factories and shops. Some companies also complained of tightened customs inspections and difficulties obtaining visas for their foreign staff.

Lagarde said neighbouring countries had to display “a certain degree of tolerance” if they were to rub along effectively.

The IMF managing director was speaking ahead of her trip to Japan next week when Tokyo hosts meetings of the IMF and the World Bank, in what will be the world’s largest single gathering of finance officials, bankers and non-government organisations.

Dow Jones Newswires reported late Tuesday several big Chinese banks had cancelled their participation in events connected to the meetings, in what it said was a sign of the bilateral row leaching into the broader, economic realm.

Most of the banks have not given a reason for their last-minute pull-outs but one unnamed person was explicit.

“Quite frankly, it’s Japan-China relations,” Dow Jones quoted an official at the Tokyo branch of the Agricultural Bank of China as saying.

The bank will withdraw from both IMF-related events and another financial industry conference planned in the western Japanese city of Osaka at the end of October.

The global economy has struggled to shrug off the effects of the sovereign debt crisis in Europe, slowing growth in China and lingering concerns over the faltering US economic recovery.

Lagarde said European countries “have made huge progress” already on the road to recovery, but “more needs to be done”, according to Kyodo.

She said the “fiscal cliff” in the United States — the anticipated termination of income tax cuts and a massive spending reduction in early 2013 — also poses a threat to the global recovery.

“My dearest objective is that the countries participating in the IMF annual meeting in Tokyo would be prepared to come together, act together and try to go beyond the crisis to sustain the recovery,” she was quoted as saying.

– AFP

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Note that IMF can have a meaningless meeting without China in Osaka, or choose to relocate the meeting to South Korea or some other venue and PERHAPS have China join in. Fiat peddling by IMF btw is meaningless. So this will be a meaningless IMF meeting without any real underwritten nations in attendance. China will only even attend IMF because of the political presence issue. Going to IMF meetings will mean China is going to drop money, and with the unwritten insult by having the IMF meeting in Osaka (US military base there and in Japan – indirect asset to Japan’s illegal territorial claim), China loses out doubly, insulted and has to help IMF bail out nations? No point turning up. IMF caused this boycott by not considering the above.

The hard sell: Stepping into your bank for advice can mean coming up against an old-fashioned sales pitch like those that influenced Death Of A Salesman.

Going to a bank branch for help with an Isa, pension or other investment has traditionally been like plunging into a pool of piranhas.

You could almost sense the commission-hungry salesmen circling, teeth bared, ready to rip into your purse or wallet.

But from January all that should change. At least that’s the plan.
What is happening to financial advice?

New rules will outlaw commission on new sales of financial products and force all financial advisers, whether in a bank branch or independent, to charge separately for advice.

Some banks — including Lloyds, Barclays and HSBC — are so terrified of telling customers how much they have been charging they are pulling out of offering investment advice to ordinary High Street customers.

Advice will still be available in some banks, but only for wealthy individuals. Paying fees for advice will come as a shock to many who have believed advice is free because the charges have been so sneakily hidden.

But it shouldn’t cost you any more overall, so long as the financial industry behaves fairly —which remains to be seen.

More investing and pensions advice

High Street banks are set to change the way in which they offer financial advice

You should be better off

In fact, Money Mail has calculated that even after paying fees you could be hundreds or even thousands of pounds better off in the long run because your investment won’t be being drained by commission taken every year. On a £10,000 investment a bank or financial adviser may take as much as 8? per cent in initial commission, meaning only £9,200 of your money is actually invested.

Raising standards: Financial advisers will be better qualified

More insidious is so-called trail commission. This can be taken from your investment every year, knocking thousands of pounds off your profits in the long run.

From January 1, all financial advisers will have to charge fees instead. For instance, they may levy £350 for advice on an investment Isa or £600 on a pension.

The key thing is that because you are paying the fee, you can feel comfortable the advice is being made in your best interests, rather than to bring them a fat commission cheque.

You will be able to pay the fee by cash, cheque or debit card. Or you could choose to have the money taken from the amount you are investing.

If it is advice on an existing investment, you can even choose to have the money taken from that investment.

This may sound similar to commission, but there is a vital difference: the fee is agreed by you and your financial adviser rather than set by the company that is trying to sell the product.

You are the customer and you will be in control.

How commission eats investments

Commission swipes billions of pounds from our investments every year. Pension and investment companies set commission levels on everything they sell.

In a BBC Radio 4 programme called The Sins Of Commission, which was broadcast in May 2005, Aviva admitted to increasing the commission it paid when it wanted to sell more pensions. It is not alone.

Products such as investment trusts, which have low charges for investors but pay little or no commission, sell far less than investment bonds, which have much higher charges and pay large amounts of commission.

Successive scandals such as mis-selling of pensions, endowments and precipice bonds can all be traced back to commission.
What will financial advice cost?

That’s the million dollar question — and it’s the one banks and building societies planning to give advice in the High Street are as yet refusing to answer.

However, the website Unbiased.co.uk — an organisation that helps consumers find an independent financial adviser in their area — has surveyed its members.

They say you might be charged £350 on average to set up an investment Isa, £600 for advice on setting up a pension and £750 for building a strategy for investing a £25,000 lump sum.

Don’t be scared off by these figures. Remember you’ve been paying for advice all along. It’s just been picked from your pocket in the form of commission and other charges.

Let’s compare how the different charges might affect a £10,000 investment into a stock market Isa if it grew by 6? per cent a year before commission and charges were taken out. Under the current regime, you might typically make £5,219 profit after ten years or £13,645 profit after 20 years.

Under the new regime, without commission you might make £6,288 profit after ten years and £16,532 after 20 years. So you could be almost £3,000 better off after 20 years just because you paid a £350 fee upfront rather than let the adviser take commission.

This, of course, assumes the investment management companies that sell most investment Isas play fair and cut their annual charges to reflect the fact they no longer pass on commission to advisers.

Even if the adviser charged £2 a month for holding your fund you could still be more than £2,000 better off after 20 years.

You could even choose to have the initial advice fee of £350 taken from your investment and just invest £9,650. This would still leave you £500 better off after ten years and £1,600 better off over 20 years because the annual commission would not be taken from your savings.

The key thing with fees is to agree how much you will pay and how you will pay it. You may pay hourly, for a single project, for an ongoing service or an annual review.

Also check up on any extras they may charge, such as travel expenses or postage. And if the fees are similar, there should be no barrier stopping you from choosing to go to an independent adviser rather than using a bank.

Simplifying: Fees for financial advice could become less confusing under the new changes

Traps that mean it isn’t curtains for hidden fees?

Well, no. Think of it as a zombie: walking dead but still preying on you. Commission of any kind will not be allowed on new investments that you buy following advice. It will also not be allowed on any top-ups you make to existing investments following advice.

But you can still be charged trail commission on any lump sum or regular payments that are agreed before December 31, 2012.

So if you are already making a £100-a-month payment to a pension and continue making this, the adviser will continue to receive commission on each new payment.

They’ll also still receive the annual trail commission — typically 0.5? per cent a year on an investment Isa.

So if you have £100,000 in investment Isas, you could still lose £500 a year to commission even if the adviser does nothing.

On some pensions, investment bonds and endowments commission can be far higher.

Some investors will have paid tens of thousands in trail commission without even knowing it.

And banks hope to exploit another loophole. If you top up an existing investment and don’t take advice before doing so, they can also charge commission on that extra money.

For instance, if you are paying £100 a month into a pension and you increase the payment to £150 a month without receiving more advice, the adviser can take commission on the whole lot.

This is crucial for bank customers, because those banks which are no longer giving advice will be able to take commission on top-ups you make to your pension, Isas and other investments. You may therefore do better to buy an entirely new investment rather than top up an existing one.
How advisers will be better qualified

In another radical move, regulators have insisted financial advisers must be better qualified and investors must be given a much clearer idea of the type of advice they are receiving.

This is part of a process known as the retail distribution review. The Financial Services Authority has insisted all advisers must undertake fresh training and exams which are the equivalent to the first year of a degree course. Until now, the basic exams have barely been more than GCSE standard.

The FSA had three key aims. These are to ensure investors:

Are offered a transparent and fair charging system for advice;
Are clear about the service they receive;
Receive advice from highly respected professionals.

There will also be basically four types of advice available from the new year.

These are:

An independent financial adviser who must look at the whole market and all types of investment. Currently, some ignore products such as investment trusts and exchange traded funds that have lower charges or don’t pay commission.
An adviser who is independent in specific areas. These will specialise in one or more types of advice such as pensions, investments or long term care. But within their specialism they will look at every type of product you could use. If you want help in an area outside their specialism they must send you elsewhere.
Restricted advisers who will only offer products from a limited number of companies. For instance, they may only offer investments from one insurer or from half a dozen unit trust companies.
Staff who only carry out the sale. This category is for do-it-yourself investing with no advice at all. However, there may be guides or newsletters giving you ideas for investments and explaining strategy.

When seeking advice you should check what category of adviser you are dealing with and what qualification and experience they have, especially if you need specialist help on issues such as your pension or long-term care.

To find a qualified adviser near you, go to thisismoney.co.uk/adviser.
What do banks and advisers say?

As you can imagine, there has been a lot of whingeing because banning commission will remove a secret and lucrative source of income. Karen Barrett, of Unbiased, takes a more optimistic line.

‘People have always paid for advice but thought it was free because the charges were disguised as commission,’ she says.

‘Now people can choose to pay a fee for a project such as sorting out an inheritance or for a one-off piece of advice such as setting up an Isa or they can pay an annual retainer.’

Surveys have suggested around 10? per cent of independent financial advisers may quit because they do not want to take the new exams or believe people will not pay for their advice.

Others may give up being fully independent and will instead specialise in certain areas such as pensions, general investment or long-term care planning. Lloyds, Barclays and HSBC have pulled out of offering advice to ordinary customers altogether.

RBS has announced 618 redundancies in its financial planning unit and HSBC cut 650 tied advisers.
Barclays had already closed its financial planning arm following the scandal exposed by Money Mail which saw risk-averse customers invested in high-risk investments — and resulted in a £7.7 million fine.

The banks’ exodus has led to concerns there will be an ‘advice gap’ with no one to guide the novice or small investor. But others, such as Nationwide, remain committed to providing advice in the High Street and may well plug at least part of the gap left by the big banks.

The comments below have not been moderated.

Its about time these hidden charges were exposed.. Afterall its only advice with no guarantees..

– steve , sheffield, 03/10/2012 13:36
Rating 2

Given that sellers of financial products have been operating for decades and generating a handsome income from the commission earned, but hidden and paid for by the end user what precisely is the effect of these changes? You now will pay an upfront fee, which can be deducted from the amount that you wish to invest, and the net amount can be invested achieving a better return as the fund will not be paying hidden commission charges to the salesman (sorry financial expert). If IFA are charging £150/hour then it is probably more expensive than getting your car serviced and if your unhappy knowing that you are paying this rate (instead of the ignorance of paying a hidden commission) then you could always do your own research and come up with a sensible investment strategy and keep your fingers crossed as you would with the advice from any IFA!

– Paul F , Leeds, United Kingdom, 03/10/2012 13:32
Rating 3

Seeing a Financial Advisor will become like visiting a Solicitor – expensive, but the advice is generally worth it’s weight. A tough decision with 3 outcomes: 1. the rich get better advice (ie richer); 2 the poor get no advice and will be limited to bank-based cash despoits (ie poorer); and 3. misselling should be avoided (though misselling only becomes a problem when the market falls and everyone sees whose been swimming naked)…

– Mark Howes , Brighton, United Kingdom, 03/10/2012 11:42
Rating 3

I didn’t know they sold Duff products I thought that was something Homer Simpson drunk.

It has never been the salespeople it has always been the products themselves that are badly designed and administered. This does nothing to address the real issue.

– john heppell , Norwich, 03/10/2012 07:36

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

8 percent is an extreme sum. Who are these Shylocks? Con men and confidence tricksters are what these so called ‘advisors’ are. Not a cent or a single drop of blood, much less this 8% pound of flesh. Even if one could afford the insurance or ‘advise fees’. Ridiculous capitalism/corporatism. Heres some advice for the ‘advisors’. Try making and selling real goods and services instead of expecting people to pay for regurgitation of capitalist rubbish from courses and classes that have no bearing or reality. Lets have REAL goods and services. Build real things. A bundle of firewood and some dressed meat for a barbecue has more value than ‘advice’ or scraps of paper.

Who says salesmen die because they cannot sell ‘advice’? Sell useful things and people will still buy. Bottles of milk, bread, flour, butter salt, cloth, small and useful tools, basic sundries perhaps, electronics, artwork, ceramics, furniture etc.. – but don’t expect a single cent for capitalist/red-tape claptrap of the ‘finance’ industry. 8%? Dream on, the bank barely give give interest to depositors more than 1% these days (Russia has 8% interest as of this posting BUT if WW3 breaks out and Russia decided to stop all transactions, say goodbye to your money . . . ).

Selling so-called ‘financial products’ based around non-existent ‘monetised debt’ (which caused the US banking crisis and massive homelessness from foreclosures) or fractionated trading of commodities and precious metals on non-existent REAL goods, while the idiot banking conman, dares takes 8% of principal? No advice is worth 8% of the whole transaction! Even housing agents demand only 1%, the ‘financial product advisor’ doesn’t even do any traveling or legwork like meeting lawyers etc.!

NO WAY. Perhaps 10% of the bank’s current interest rate could be tolerable which means a flat 1% at 10% interest rates for fixed deposit which are virtually impossible to find even as INFLATION is more than 10% most of the time, with GOLD the only thing keeping up with inflation. Theres no such thing as fiat money either. None with any intelligence will miss associating with these finance conmen. Vote properly meanwhile, the banking and finance industry are overgrown parasites, even education has become a parasite system (Student Debt Finaciar Complex), the legal system and enforcement (Prison Contractor-Supplier Crony Complex) yet another. Bad laws lead to bad society, leads to bad citizens.

Banks have failed and have been running at loss for decades WHILE paying gigantic millions level bonuses, to so-called CEOs and Executives (even at loss to the citizens, stockholders of bank stocks), and only are propped by taxmonies citizens stupidly GIVE the corrupted and colluding MPs or Governors in governments who never lower taxes or add VAT and GST on top of EXISTING taxes not to mention Road Tolls or other crony projects! Drop the greed minded conjob low class mentality (though high wealth) cheating bastards among citizens! Boycott ALL banking ‘products’ and the parasite ‘advisors’ who need to produce REAL GOODS or offer REAL SERVICES instead of helping the bank conning the people with ‘so-called ‘banking products’!

Here’s the truth of ‘human’ ‘reality’. There is only land and resources, manufacture and production of real goods, perhaps barter of livestock – and politics or religion at most discursiveness being proof and manner of obtaining stature – NOTHING ELSE – especially false ‘finance’ and false ‘banking’. Barter solves everything, the REAL GOODS and REAL LABOUR market, not a stack of paper that represents nothing, not even commodities pushed by liars and sellouts in suits and ties.

With these ‘financial products’ one may get fiat money (under no guarantee either . . . which on top of that is already destroying the finance system and civilisation), with which one can buy things with and enrich oneself with. But anyone who chooses the expedience of ‘destroying society’s real goods or real labour financial reality ‘a little’ by buying any financial plans at any return of whatever rate, are unethical criminals destroying financial stability which the Finance Ministry of the government in most capitalist countries actually dare allow!

ARTICLE 8

All covered up! Woman arrested for having sex in the back of a Dubai taxi arrives for court hearing in a hijab – by Leon Watson – PUBLISHED: 11:07 GMT, 3 October 2012 | UPDATED: 12:52 GMT, 3 October 2012

Rebecca Blake, 29, is facing a prison sentence after her alleged tryst
She appeared with Irish welder Conor McRedmond at Dubai Criminal Court

The British businesswoman accused of having drunken sex in the back of a Dubai taxi turned up to court today wearing a hijab.

Rebecca Blake, 29, from Dorking, Surrey, was sacked from her £100,000 a year job as a recruitment consultant following the scandal and is facing a prison sentence after her alleged tryst with Irish welder Conor McRedmond.

Both appeared at Dubai Criminal Court today.

Following her arrest, Miss Blake insisted she had only been in the taxi for five minutes before the driver reported her to police – but admitted ‘I’m no saint’ and that she’d drunk so much the whole incident is a ‘blur’.

Rebecca Blake, 29, is accused of having sex in the back of a Dubai taxi with Irish welder Conor McRedmond

She also described her five days of hell in Bur Dubai women’s holding prison, where she was bitten by cockroaches.

Miss Blake told The Sun how the day, on May 4, started at noon with a four-hour-long all-you-can-drink brunch at Dubai’s exclusive Rotana Hotel.

‘It’s all a blur’: £100k-per-year British woman accused of having sex in a Dubai taxi reveals she went on a 10 hour drinking marathon before arrest
Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood MP sparks fury by asking female journalist if her questions would be ‘as hot as she is’

She told the newspaper: ‘There’s constant alcohol – your drink won’t even be half gone before you get given a new one. I was table hopping, drinking white wine and just generally having a great time.

‘I don’t know how much I had, they just kept filling up the glass. I like to party and I like to drink. I’m a single girl with a good job and I am no saint.

‘It had been a great day – I was dancing and drinking from 12 noon till gone 10 at night.

Minutes later they were spotted in a passionate embrace by the driver in his rear view mirror, according to police reports.

Rebecca Blake, 29, and Conor McRedmond were arrested after an all-day drinking binge

Incensed by their behaviour, the driver stopped and complained to police in a patrol car parked nearby.

When he returned with an officer, they allegedly saw Miss Blake having sex on the back seat of the cab with Mr McRedmond.

Miss Blake refused to discuss what went on in the taxi, but admitted the events are a blur.

She said: ‘We were only in the taxi for five minutes before the driver pulled over. I can’t speak about anything in the cab for legal reasons. But I didn’t know what was going on. It is all a blur and I don’t really remember how it all came about.’

The pair were held for five days and accused of having sex outside marriage and being drunk in a public place – both criminal offences in the strict Islamic state.

Miss Blake described her time behind bars as ‘hell’ and revealed she suffered a panic attack after waking up to find cockroach bites on her face.

She’s currently free on bond, but faces up to three years in jail if convicted – and is terrified of the prospect of going back to prison.

She said: ‘Looking back I literally went from having fun dancing in the sun to an underground dungeon hell in a matter of hours. I must have dozed off a little bit (in her cell) because when I woke up I had a cockroach bite on my face.

‘It was vile – the worst nightmare you could possibly imagine. I had a panic attack and thought, “s***, I am in prison.” I was literally terrified.

‘I am preparing myself for going back to prison and I really don’t know how to cope with it. I don’t know if I will. It could finish me if I have to go back inside that hell-hole.’

Mr McRedmond, who is thought to work for an engineering firm, also denies the charges.

Those convicted of having sex outside marriage face a sentence of between one month and three years under Dubai law.

Strict Islamic state: Those convicted of having sex outside marriage face a sentence of between one month and three years under Dubai law.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Spoilsport snob/fundo driver/society. Maybe the cabbies should have signs on the taxi that say if they allow or disallow sex in their taxi. Being drunk is a form of ‘temporary insanity’ though harmless actions like sex in a taxi should be overlooked, or issued with warnings especially in foreign countries. Punishment for repeat offenses could be justifiable, but even then not excessive.

The driver of this supercar would probably rather be ragging it around a racetrack or attracting admiring glances while cruising down some of London’s most glamorous streets.

But this fluorescent orange Ferrari won’t be going very far at all for the time being – although it still may demand some attention.

The £200,000 vehicle, which has a top speed of 208mph and can go from 0 to 60 in 3.7 seconds, is being used to highlight a major campaign by police to target uninsured motorists.

Seized: The £200,000 Ferrari FF is on display outside New Scotland Yard as part of a campaign to clamp down on uninsured drivers

The 28-year-old owner of the FF model has not yet claimed the car back after it was seized in South Kensington.

The car, which has been placed alongside an £18,000 Mercedes belonging to a disqualified driver, has the phrase ‘uninsured vehicle seized by police’ plastered on its windscreen.

The display comes on the 11th day of action in the campaign – dubbed Operation Cubo – which has so far seized a total of nearly 37,000 uninsured vehicles since it began in October last year.

By this afternoon, a total of 300 vehicles were seized and 30 arrests made for various offences including driving while disqualified, possession of an offensive weapon and possession of class A drugs.

Captured: The Ferrari has been placed next to a £18,000 Mercedes which belongs to a disqualified driver

Clampdown: The two cars are on display outside New Scotland Yard as part of Operation Cubo, a major campaign to target uninsured motorists

While the cars are on display outside New Scotland Yard, a number of seized vehicles will also be on show in prominent positions around London as part of the campaign.

For all to see: Seized vehicles will be on show in prominent positions around the capital while the supercars are displayed to passers-by

During the ten Operation Cubo days held so far, more than 750 people have been arrested for a variety of offences including rape, possession of illegal firearms, money laundering and drugs.

Firearms, other weapons and large quantities of cash and drugs have also been recovered.

Commander Stephen Watson, who is leading the operation, said: ‘Operation Cubo has achieved some outstanding results and we expect another large haul of vehicle seizures today, and more importantly a number of arrests – including arrests for some very serious offences.

‘We are targeting criminals by denying them the use of the roads so it’s much harder for them to commit crime.

‘The overwhelming majority of people who don’t insure their cars are also habitual criminals.

‘We’re also helping to make London’s roads safer as uninsured drivers are more likely to have collisions and less likely to have road-worthy vehicles.

‘By displaying seized vehicles across London, we are sending a strong message to people who choose to drive without insurance that we will seize and possibly sell or crush your vehicle.’

‘Nearly 37,000 vehicles have now been seized since we began our initiative and hundreds of criminals arrested.

‘Cubo uses highly visible, but effective tactics that capture criminals in the act and deter their offending, while reclaiming London’s roads for responsible and law-abiding drivers.’

Crime: During the ten Operation Cubo days held so far, more than 750 people have been arrested for a variety of offences.

Commentator Comments :

YOU CAN INSURE YOUR ‘CAR FOR ANY DRIVER’ Why the hell are people going on about this..?!?!?!!? – paulus…, staffordshire, 3/10/2012 14:10 Nonsense! Young drivers cannot get “any driver” cover nor can those who own high performance cars are 2 examples I can think of off the top of my head.

– Paul , Swansea, 03/10/2012 14:39
Rating (0)

Insurance companies invented small print, there are more exclusions than inclusions in a policy. An insurance company, when they have a claim against their insurance, will first look at ALL avenues to get out of that claim, if that isn’t possible, they might pay! Not something new, that’s how they have always operated and will continue to operate.

– Wild Bill , Thailand, 03/10/2012 14:29
Rating 2

There is nothing pleasurable about driving anymore now. The tax on fuel is a joke, if you are in certain stereotypes, like under 25, you are lawfully discriminated against by insurers, whether you are a safe and able driver or not. There are too many cars and not enough road and people rushing around, others driving at dangerously slow speeds and those that don’t have the skill or interest and shouldn’t have been given a licence. All you can do is watch out and try and protect yourself.

– DAN , Gateshead, 03/10/2012 14:25
Rating 1

I suspect another 2 million drive DELIBERATELY without insurance due to the escalating costs and the fines for being caught being less than the insurance!

– Dave , Oban, 03/10/2012 14:23
Rating 6

– paulus… , staffordshire, 03/10/2012 14:06 ——————————- You are spot on. ————– Also, people should always check their ‘personal injury’ coverage terms, because some shady insurance companies will have a clause that exempts them if the accident was your fault. ——————— Another nice little tip is to check and see if your insurance extends to rental cars. Often rental car companies try to sell you very expensive insurance policies, but your own personal insurance may cover you in rental cars as well, which means you do not need to pay for the rental companies insurance. ————————– It’s always nice to know what you are covered for before the issue comes up, and what you’re not covered for in case you want to change that.

YOU CAN INSURE YOUR ‘CAR FOR ANY DRIVER’ Why the hell are people going on about this..?!?!?!!?

– paulus… , staffordshire, 03/10/2012 14:10
Rating 4

I used to work in car insurance claims and a lot of people seem to think that comp cover allows them to drive any car. sheesh, read your policy.

– lara , pontypridd, United Kingdom, 03/10/2012 14:07
Rating 1

It never ceases to amaze me how little most people actually know about at insurance. Myths seem more prevalent than facts..! Firstly, insurance isn’t mainly covering your car, you’re asking the company to insure everyone else’s car, property and personal safety against what YOU might do to it. Comprehensive insurance also covers damage to your car in some circumstances. The ‘driving other cars’ extension has never been automatic and had absolutely nothing to do with whether you have a comprehensive policy or not. This is just an old wives tale. You can have this extension to drive other cars with or without comp insurance, and you can have comp insurance with or without the ‘driving other cars’ extension. It’s about time people started actually reading their policy and certificate to understand what they have bought rather than relying on the myths and old wives takes about car insurance. I do accept however that the language should be clearer in policy documents.

– paulus… , staffordshire, 03/10/2012 14:06
Rating 2

The ‘driving other cars’ extension has NEVER been automatic and has absolutely nothing to do with whether you have comprehensive insurance or not. This is about stupid people believing old wives tales about insurance rather than confirming the facts.

– paulus… , staffordshire, 03/10/2012 13:53
Rating 7

Used to be the case that this was automatic. Now its another money making scam by the insurance companies. – Bobk, Aldershot, 3/10/2012 7:17 It usually is automatic, on Comprehensive policies. It’s never been automatic on Third Party Fire & Theft. Lauren’s case here doesn’t look right though – she would never be insured TPFT on her mother’s Comp policy. She would normally be covered to drive her mum’s car with TPFT cover on her own Comprehensive insurance. Because of her age she may have been TPFT insured on her own car meaning she wouldn’t normally have Driving Other Cars automatically included. It’s not really insurance companies scamming anybody – it’s a nationwide lack of understanding which insurance companies need to do more to address (in my opinion).

– Alan , Bradford, 03/10/2012 13:53

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Again I say, GET YOUR MPS TO ABOLISH PENALTIES FOR LACK OF INSURANCE! Or include opt outs for insurance. Many careful drivers DO NOT need insurance, if accidents occur for the careless, the offending driver can be penalised, but the careful uninsured driver should not be penalised for not having insurance. Larger penalties applied after accidents are meaningful BUT to penalise for merely not having insurance is unreasonable. Who writes these abusive laws? Who refuses to amend these abusive laws? If lots of people somehow feel they have to pay an insurance company (most likely crony colluder/proxy), does that mean that all those who do not want to pay insurance are forced to pay as well under threat of fines and imprisonment? This is uncivilised and undemocratic.

As a Catholic who works in the trade association profession in the auto industry it was unsettling to hear President Obama claim that he saved the auto industry. President Obama closed over 2,200 auto dealerships, which caused the losses of decades old family-owned businesses and over 120,000 jobs they provided. The closures were allowed to happen under the false notion that auto dealerships were an expense on their auto maker. The President ignored the fact that auto dealers are not an expense to automakers. Auto makers own none of what you see at auto dealerships. Auto dealers own all their property; the cars and trucks, parts, buildings, land, signs, everything. The dealerships pay their employee’s salaries and millions of dollars in taxes to state and local governments. The manufacturer has nothing to do with any of these things.

Facts:

President Obama purposefully and unjustly took away 2,200 self-sufficient, family owned businesses under the false premise that they were an expense on their auto manufacturer. He deliberately put these people in debt with no way to recover. Auto dealers still cannot sell their closed properties.
President Obama’s decision to close dealerships cost 120,000 persons their jobs and livelihood.
The President’s action defrauded auto dealers of their property rights and their employees of their wages.

The President’s actions against auto dealers violated the Catholic social teaching principles of social justice and the common good by removing owners rights to their property and defrauding workers of their wages. His actions (he calls it “shared sacrifice”) were an example of collectivism, centralized planning and socialism. All of these ideas are rejected by America and all are rejected by Catholic teaching in regard to the commandment, “thou shall not steal.”

Many people have forgotten what damage President Obama did to the auto industry and the auto dealer and their employees. Please remind them.

Peter L. Hodges Sr.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Heres a Spiritual Theory on Vehicles/Machines/Electronic Devices and Anime :

Christians are ALL involved in abuse of the ‘Nature Spirits’ within mankind. A car dealer deals in sequestration and slavery of ‘machine spirits’ of which some may be bonded with LIVING organic being spirits. Obama is aware of the esoteric level of things here, Hodges is either ignorant or fronting for more Catholic abuse of non-human spirits that do not know the difference between humans and machines. Granted binding of organic souls to machines is a skill, but a skill unnatural and abusive of beings that can evolve and ‘grow up’ keeping them in a state of spiritual stagnancy, enslaved to the coarse matter, in this case CARS. By breaking these businesses Obama is FREEING spirits that will evolve and one day look back on mankind with a more forgiving eye. Those who disparage these actions, are not on the correct spiritual page like so many pedophile priests that Christianity hides in the same way machines bind the souls of chidren who are sexually abused.

I doubt this will get to be featured among thesii for Occult works, but here goes. ANY car company that uses an anime character’s name is intentionally doing that and in an unethical and morally/spiritually illegal manner. any anime company that does not challenge the use of that character’s name used in a car model is colluding to sequester the ‘fapper’s’ SPIRITUAL energy. There are physical laws protecting PHYSICAL property and now if SPIRITUAL LAWS are to be considered to protect INTANGIBLE SPIRITUAL ENERGY as well, the car companies and anime companies need to compensate ANY person who masturbated to any anime character which has NLP or name links. The so-called ‘fap-material’ is to steal souls from people who masturbate if anything, and that is why Christianity does not allow abortions or masturbation (preferably).

The anime character has a life in the ether the instance they are electronically depicted on television/internet (or scanned) and the ‘fapability’ is in fact the astral/ethereal form being formed/summoned for sexual gratification. This is also how relationships can and do break up because of the weaker mindeds’ obsessions with anime or less obviously, real porn stars who’s presence is increasingly blurred as technologically the difference between real and manufactured become indistinguishable and distinct.

So when buying a car, or fapping to anime, make sure the anime company in question has not colluded with a car company via naming similarity, that could steal your sexual pleasure. This is also why depiction of idols is forbidden in Islam and why hermitages or isolation cells are used by spiritualists. To protect the unwary or the weak minded as well as formulate spiritual theories such as this. That sexual energy is the energy of life and one ends up in the astral or ether – the more one faps, though if the spirit police (your ethical religious orders or religions) if sufficiently numerous AND ethical to ensure astral or ethereal energies lost are returned equitably as other beings die, the above issues can be ignored to an extent. This is also the attraction of castration of animals (neutered animals are cruelly tied to owners for the owner’s sexual pleasure in some cases – particularly vigorous sexual sessions do result in animal deaths), mass murder, torture and the desire of ‘demons’ and ‘succubi’ (real or ethereal) to cause the above as well as people whp have pets or deal with animals are ‘sexy’. They’re disgusting parasites off the neutered beasts for mere pleasure that do not have the capacity for! This is also why harems are important among the upper classes who can affo\rd the luxury, this is also why some children leave formerly close knit familes and never go back or avoid going back, as well as the basis of incest.

To avoid all of the above, live in a low density place (an acre per family is minimal, forget about high rises or even rabbit hutch terraces or ‘duplexes’ or high density bungalows) that do not have animals, and ‘fap out’ the animals or unwanted/unwilling persons somehow caught in your sexual field and make sure anime characters do not share names with any vehicle models or machines or even brand name perfumes etc.. Return to the weather system ‘Sylphy‘ . . . the word Sylph or any permutation is RESERVED as much as Undine or any other mythical beast or personality. ‘Apollo’ angers the ether for certain (guess why those astronauts had to die), so please make up a new name and avoid accidental NLPs in other languages if possible.

In a special four-minute comment that aired during this morning’s news broadcast on La Crosse, Wisconsin’s CBS affiliate WKBT, news anchor/reporter Jennifer Livingston responded to a viewer who wrote in to the station to chide Livingston for not providing “a suitable example for this community’s young people, girls in particular,” by appearing on television despite being overweight.

The letter had already gone viral thanks to Livingston’s husband, 6 and 10 anchor Mike Thompson, who posted it on his Facebook page, calling it “infuriating” and “sick.”

“The truth is, I am overweight,” Livingston acknowledged. “You can call me fat – and yes, even obese on a doctor’s chart. But to the person who wrote me that letter, do you think I don’t know that? That your cruel words are pointing out something that I don’t see?”

She continued:

You don’t know me. You are not a friend of mine. You are not a part of my family, and you have admitted you don’t watch this show. You know nothing about me but what you see on the outside, and I am much more than a number on a scale.

Proving that she was most certainly “a suitable example for this community’s young people,” and “girls in particular,” Livingston concluded her necessary rant with an appeal to bullied children everywhere.

To all of the children out there who feel lost, who are struggling with your weight, with the color of your skin, your sexual preference, your disability, even the acne on your face, listen to me right now. Do not let your self-worth be defined by bullies. Learn from my experience – that the cruel words of one are nothing compared to the shouts of many.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Only frumps and uglies or aging set types, will be taken seriously for serious news. A 911 Twin towers would be almost farcical if done by a slim or bimbo type. Fluff news or at very most weather however, this news anchor is indeed too fat. Talk about above waist issues, bring on the fatties, the chunkier the balder the uglier the better. One cant concentrate on serious issues, looking at beautiful people, too busy admiring.

So here we have yet another case of showing us who is in control over our rights to food.

Some of you may remember when I posted a thread on a woman in the US who had the city actually rip out her edible plants only to leave her with nothing and a couple in Canada who were threatened with the same action, only they fought City Hall and won.

Now we have Toronto playing food cops and removing an entire Community garden with no chance even to harvest.

toronto.mediacoop.ca…

Amid a growing food crisis, this morning workers from the City of Toronto were ordered by City of Toronto Parks Director Richard Ubbens that all live plants and food be removed from the People’s Peas Garden in Queens Park. They were ordered to take the plants and food to the dump and lay sod overtop of this most beautiful free community food garden, without warning, without a chance to remove the rare heirloom plant species or harvest the food.

Growing for 5 Months and having hundreds of volunteers and only NOW it’s destroyed? And right before the harvest the day before. Pathetic.

The City actually let it flourish and planned the day down to the eve of harvest to send some sort of message…whatever the hell that is.

The garden was planted by Occupy Gardens and allies on May 1st, in defense of local and global food security. While the garden has been growing undisturbed for nearly 5 months, with the help of hundreds in the community, the city deliberately decided to have it removed upon the eve of the Autumn Jam: A Harvest Party and celebration of sharing, community and free local food, which is happening tomorrow from 12-6pm at the garden in Queens Park (northwest section).

And the reasoning behind it all:

The reason? The people did not have permission to grow free food on public land.

If that’s the case (which I see as absolutely ridiculous because it’s in almost every city) why let it grow for 5 Months and rip it out the day before harvest? Agenda in the making.
Community gardens are beautiful, beneficial and act as a neighborhood gathering place of sharing with friends. What does a City gain by doing something that makes people angry and upset? Depriving people of good, healthy food when many can’t afford it is nothing but a declaration of power. They have it and the citizens don’t.

This makes me angry…again. Our food supplies are under attack and we are being told in many forms that we are losing our rights to produce what we want to eat. From Monsanto trying to control every seed on the planet to a front yard garden and now a Community garden.

I don’t mind saying that this is getting scary and it won’t be long before people are standing guard over their gardens with guns at the ready. I never thought I’d see days like this.

I know some members will come along and state that they have no right to grow food on public land. BS. Those people ARE the public…hundreds of them in fact. They pay taxes and kept a plot of land beautiful for the rest of the public.

Peace

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

The city of Toronto does not just belong to the Council workers. The city of Toronto belongs to ALL residents of Toronto. Vote for an MP who will amend the laws to disallow this sort of harvest destroying behaviour.

B35 Bridge to PinangDecember 4th parliamentary elections in Russia were marked by outside interference by US-based NGO’s. Nearly 50,000 Muscovites – most members of the Communist Party – protested the fraudulent results in Bolotnaya Square near the Kremlin.

Despite the National Endowment for Democracy/Freedom House-funded ruse, the Communist Party still picked up the most seats. These results, along with Putin’s sending of an aircraft carrier to Syria and Russia’s Ambassador being kicked out of Qatar, indicate a Russia moving in a leftward direction.

This makes the Illuminati banksters very nervous.

Last week Mikhail Dmitrievitch Prokhorov announced that he would run for President in 2012. Prokhorov owns the New Jersey Nets basketball team and is worth $18 billion. He is the 3rd richest man in Russia and the 32nd richest man in the world.

Prokhorov is likely a Mikail Khodorkovsky-protégé front-man for the international bankers. He will play the same role that Croat billionaire Milan Panic filled when he ran for President of Yugoslavia in 1992. Panic lost to Slobodan Milosevic, whose country was shortly thereafter torn asunder by the banksters. Milosevic was later poisoned in the Hague after he embarrassed prosecutors via his vigorous defense.

If Prokohorov loses, will the banksters resort to violence against the Russian state?

It certainly wouldn’t be the first time the Illuminati has targeted resource-rich Russia.

Unholy Alliance

While the international banking syndicates had always dealt with the Soviet Union, access to its vast oil resources remained limited. Ronald Reagan entered the White House in 1980 determined to splinter the Soviet Union into little pieces and open the country’s oilfields to the Four Horsemen. His point man in doing so was CIA Director Bill Casey, whose Roman Catholic Knights of Malta connections were thoroughly exploited.

The Vatican’s secretive Opus Dei “saintly Mafia” was behind the ascent of Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtyla to the Papacy. Wojtyla became Pope John Paul II and launched an Opus Dei/Vatican offensive to roll back Latin American liberation theology movements and East European communism. Fascism came naturally to Karol Wojtyla. During the 1940’s he was a chemical salesman for Nazi combine I. G. Farben. Wojtyla sold the Nazis the cyanide they used at their Auschwitz death camps. One of his best friends was Dr. Wolf Szmuness, mastermind of the 1978 Center for Disease Control Hepatitis B study in the US, through which the AIDS virus was introduced into the gay population. [722]

In 1982 Reagan met with Pope John Paul II. Prior to the meeting Reagan signed NSD-32, authorizing a wide range of economic, diplomatic and covert activities to “neutralize the USSR’s hold on Eastern Europe”. At the meeting the two agreed to launch a clandestine program to tear Eastern Europe away from the Soviets. Poland, the Pope’s country of origin, would be the key. Catholic priests, the AFL-CIO, the National Endowment for Democracy, the Vatican Bank and CIA would all be deployed.

The Vatican is the world’s largest owner of equities, using Swiss affiliate Banco di Roma per la Svizzera to conduct its more discretionary business. Italian fascist Benito Mussolini gave the Vatican generous tax exemptions which it still enjoys. Banco Ambrosiano’s P-2 leader Robert Calvi’s Grand Oriente Freemason’s supported reconciliation with the Vatican. Relations between the Vatican and the Freemasons were strained in the 11th century when the Greek Orthodox split from the Roman Catholics. Knights Templar and the Knights Hospitaler of St. John factions emerged. The latter was the Catholic faction. They changed their name to the Knights of Malta, after the island where they found refuge after their Crusades defeat, with help from the Vatican. Malta is a nexus of CIA/MI6/Mossad intrigues.

In the 13th century Pope Clement V, backed by France’s King Philip, charged the Protestant Knights Templars with heresy, citing their penchant for drug running, arms peddling, gambling and prostitution rings. These activities are what made the Templars “filthy rich”. Pope Clement made an example of Templar leader Jaques de Molay, whom he burned at the stake on Friday the 13th. [723] The Templars took their loot and fled to Scotland to found Scottish Rite Freemasonry. They bankrolled the House of Windsor, which controls Britain and presides at the apex of Freemasonry around the world. Masonic Lodge members enroll their children in the de Molay Society, which is named in honor of the toasted Templar pirate.

Calvi’s attempt to reconcile protestant and Catholic secret societies was a success. He became paymaster to the Polish Solidarity movement, while Nixon Treasury Secretary David Kennedy’s dirty Continental Illinois Bank served as conduit for CIA funds sent by Bank of Cicero asset Bishop Paul Marcinkus to fund Solidarity. [724] The Vatican teamed up with Europe’s Black Nobility, the Bilderbergers and CIA to launch the top-secret JASON Society and armed South American dictators to quash liberation theology. In 1978 when Pope John Paul II took power, the Vatican issued a commemorative stamp featuring an Egyptian pyramid and the Roshaniya all-seeing eye. [725] The Vatican and the Illuminati Brotherhood were reunited.

Reagan’s meetings with Pope John Paul II were an affirmation of this powerful new alliance, which would now focus on bringing the Soviet Union to its knees. Even before Reagan met with the Pope the CIA had groomed an informant at the Polish Ministry of Defense- Colonel Ryszard Kuklinski. Kuklinski reported to the Vatican and helped organize the Polish Solidarity Movement, led by the wealthy Radziwill family who had funded JFK assassins via Permindex. Most Solidarity leaders were old-money aristocrats.

The precursor to Solidarity was the National Alliance of Solidarists, a Russian/Eastern European fascist hit squad funded by RD/Shell’s Sir Henry Deterding and German Vickers Arms Corporation President Sir Basil Zacharoff. Sir Auckland Geddes of Rio Tinto Zinc, which bankrolled Francisco Franco’s fascist coup in Spain, also contributed to the Solidarists. Geddes’ nephew- Ford Irvine Geddes- was chairman of the Inchcape’s Peninsular & Orient Navigation Company from 1971-1972. [726]

The Solidarist’s US headquarters was the Tolstoy Foundation, which is housed in the same building as Julius Klein Associates, which ran guns to the murderous Haganah and Stern Gang Zionist death squads who stole Palestinian lands to found Israel. Klein was an M16 Permindex insider who helped plan the JFK hit.

The Solidarists stepchild, the Solidarity Movement, was touted in the Western media as a great Polish liberating force. With boatloads of CIA help, Solidarity toppled the Communist government in Warsaw. Their straw man Lech Walesa became President of Poland. In 1995 Walesa was defeated by former Communist leader Aleksander Kwasniewski. Walesa was rewarded for his boot licking with a job at Pepsico.

CIA Director Casey demanded a constant focus on Eastern Europe at CIA. Casey met often with Philadelphia Roman Catholic Cardinal John Krol to discuss the Solidarity Movement. He utilized his Knights of Malta connections, leaning heavily on Brother Vernon Walters, whose spook resume read like a James Bond novel. Walter’s latest incarnation was Reagan Ambassador at Large to Vatican Secretary of State Agostino Cardinal Casaroli. [727] By 1991 Walters was US Ambassador to the UN, where he successfully beat the drums of war against Iraq. He was in Fiji that same year, just prior to the overthrow of that left-leaning government.

Other Knights of Malta members involved in the Eastern European destabilization effort were Reagan NSA and Robert Vesco lieutenant Richard Allen, Reagan NSA Judge William Clark, Reagan Ambassador to the Vatican William Wilson and Zbigniew Brzezinski. Other prominent Knights of Malta members include Prescott Bush, Nixon Treasury Secretary William Simon, Nixon coup-plotter Alexander Haig, contra supporter J. Peter Grace and Venezuelan Rockefeller lieutenant Gustavo Cisneros.

The Reagan team had a five-part strategy in its efforts to destroy the Soviet Union. First, it would pursue the JASON Society’s Star Wars concept in an attempt to engage the Soviets in a space-based arms race which they knew Moscow could not afford. Second, the CIA would launch covert operations in Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary in attempts to overthrow those Soviet-allied governments. While Walesa emerged in Poland, poet Vaclev Havel became CIA white knight in Czechoslovakia. Like Walesa, Havel became unpopular and was soon tossed out of his puppet presidency.

A component of the CIA destabilization program was to buy weapons from these East European nations to arm CIA-sponsored rebels in Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Angola and Mozambique, using BCCI and later BNL as conduits. The US also wanted to get their hands on the high-tech Soviet arsenal. Poland secretly sold the US an array of advanced Soviet weaponry worth $200 million. Romania did the same. Both countries saw their foreign debts reduced significantly. [728]

The third component of the Reagan strategy was to make financial aid to the Warsaw Pact contingent on economic privatization. Fourth, the US would blanket East European and Soviet airwaves with pro-Western propaganda, using fronts like Radio Liberty, Radio Free Europe and the Voice of America. The CIA financed local newspapers and magazines.

The Company got help inside the Soviet Union from its Mossad buddies in an effort spearheaded by media mogul and Mossad paymaster Robert Maxwell. When Maxwell threatened to reveal a meeting between KGB head Vladimir Kryuchkov and Mossad brass aboard his private yacht at which a coup against Mikhail Gorbachev was discussed, Mossad ordered a hit on Maxwell. On November 4, 1991 as he sailed around the Canary Islands Maxwell was assassinated by Israeli commandos. The mass exodus of Russian Jews to Israeli-occupied settlements in Palestine was part of the secret deal between Mossad and Kryuchkov, who is still serving time in a Moscow prison for his treasonous role in the Gorbachev coup. [729]

But it was the fifth and final component of Reagan’s strategy that had the Four Horsemen salivating. Reagan’s spooks initiated an economic warfare campaign against the Soviet Union, which included a freeze on technology transfers, counterfeiting of the Russian ruble and the sponsoring of separatist Islamist groups in the Soviet Central Asian Caucasus. The jihadis who were instructed to target a key transcontinental natural gas pipeline which the Soviets were building. The Soviets had more natural gas than any country on earth and saw the completion of this pipeline as their cash cow for the 21st century. [730] Big Oil wanted to milk that cow.

It’s the Oil, Stupid

When the Soviet Union’s last President Mikhail Gorbachev announced his perestroika and glasnost campaigns to privatize his country’s economy, he was aiding the Illuminati in destroying his country. Was Gorbachev duped, an unwitting accomplice, a CIA deep-cover agent or a mind-controlled Operation Presidio Temple of Set victim? Whatever the case, he played a key role in dismantling the Soviet Union.

The Soviets controlled not only the vast resources of their own nation, but Third World resources in Soviet-allied Comecon nations. Part of perestroika was to cease Soviet aid to these developing nations to ease the growing Soviet debt burden which, like the US debt, accrued largely from decades of Cold War military spending. The two superpowers’ debt was held by the same international banks, which now used this debt lever to pick a winner and to open Russian and Third World resource pools to their corporate tentacles. [731]

When the Berlin Wall fell and Gorbachev was overthrown in favor of IMF crony Boris Yeltsin, the Four Horsemen rushed to Moscow to begin making oil deals. Oil and natural gas had always been the Soviet’s main export and it remained so for the new Russia. In 1991, the country earned $13 billion in hard currency from oil exports. In 1992 Yeltsin announced that Russia’s world leading 9.2 billion barrel/day oil sector would be privatized.

Sixty percent of Russia’s Siberian reserves had never been tapped. [732] In 1993 the World Bank announced a $610 billion loan to modernize Russia’s oil industry- by far the largest loan in the bank’s history. World Bank subsidiary International Finance Corporation bought stock in several Russian oil companies and made an additional loan to the Bronfman’s Conoco for its purchase of Siberian Polar Lights Company. [733]

The main vehicle for international banker control over Russian oil was Lukoil, initially 20%-owned by BP Amoco and Credit Suisse First Boston, where Clinton Yugoslav envoy and Dayton Peace Accords architect Richard Holbrooke worked. Bush Sr. Attorney General Dick Thornburgh, who orchestrated the BNL cover-up, was now CS First Boston’s Chief Financial Officer. A handful of Zionist Russian oligarchs, collectively known as the Russian Mafia, owned the rest of Lukoil, which served as the Saudi ARAMCO of Russia for the Four Horsemen, a partner to Big Oil in projects throughout the country which involved truly staggering amounts of capital.

These included Sakhalin Islands projects known as Sakhalin I, a $15 billion Exxon Mobil venture; and Sakhalin II, a $10 billion deal led by Royal Dutch/Shell which included Mitsubishi, Mitsui and Marathon Oil as partners. Siberian developments were even larger. RD/Shell is a 24.5% partner in Uganskneftegasin, which controls a huge Siberian natural gas field. At Priobskoye, BP Amoco operates a $53 billion project. At Timan Pechora on the Arctic Ocean a consortium made up of Exxon Mobil, Chevron Texaco, BP Amoco and Norsk Hydo runs a $48 billion venture.

In November 2001 Exxon Mobil announced plans to invest another $12 billion in an oil and gas project in the Russian Far East. RD/Shell announced a $8.5 billion investment in its Sakhalin Islands concessions. BP Amoco made similar proclamations. [734] In 1994 Lukoil pumped 416 million barrels of oil, making it fourth largest producer in the world after RD/Shell, Exxon Mobil and part-owner BP Amoco. Its fifteen billion barrels in crude reserves rank second in the world to Royal Dutch/ Shell. [735]

The Soviet Caucasus, with encouragement from Langley, soon split from Russia. The map of Central Asia was re-written as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Georgia all declared their independence. The pipeline Reagan ordered targeted carried Soviet natural gas east to the North Pacific port of Vladivostok and west to the Black Sea port of Novorrossiysk from the world’s richest known natural gas fields lying beneath and abutting the shoreline of the Caspian Sea, which lies in the heart of Caucasus.

The Four Horsemen coveted this resource more than any in the world. They wanted to build their own private pipelines once they got their hands on the Caspian Sea natural gas fields, which also contain an estimated 200 billion barrels of crude oil. Oil industry privatizations were quickly announced in the new Central Asian Republics which had, by virtue of their independence, taken control of the vast Caspian Sea oil and gas reserves. By 1991 Chevron was holding talks with Kazakhstan. [736]

The Central Asian Republics became the largest recipients of USAID aid, as well as ExIm Bank, OPIC and CCC loans. Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan were especially favored. These countries control the shoreline of the Caspian Sea, along with Russia and Iran. In 1994 Kazakhstan received $311 million in US aid and another $85 million to help dismantle Soviet-era nuclear weapons. President Clinton met with Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev. They signed an array of agreements ranging from disarmament deals to space research cooperation. Kazakhstan, with an estimated 17.6 billion barrels of oil reserves, had been a strategic part of the Soviet nuclear weapons grid and was home to the Soviet space program.

The two leaders also signed an agreement providing investment protection for US multinationals. The Free Trade Institute and US Chamber of Commerce sent officials to train Kazakhs in the finer arts of global capitalism. The Four Horsemen moved in swiftly. Chevron Texaco laid claim to the biggest prize- the $20 billion Tenghiz oilfield- then grabbed another gusher at Korolev. Exxon Mobil signed a deal to develop an offshore concession in the Caspian. [737] Tengizchevroil is 45%-owned by Chevron Texaco and 25%-owned by Exxon Mobil. [738] President George W. Bush’s NSA and later Secretary of State Condaleeza Rice, an expert on Central Asia, sat on the board at Chevron alongside George Schultz from 1989-1992. She even had an oil tanker named after her.

Across the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan was receiving hundreds of millions of dollars in US aid. BP Amoco led a consortium of seven oil giants who spent an initial $8 billion to develop three concessions off the coast of the capital Baku- historic base camp of Big Oil in the region. [739] BP Amoco and Pennzoil- recently acquired by Royal Dutch/Shell- took control of the Azerbaijan Oil Company, whose board of directors included former Bush Sr. Secretary of State James Baker.

In 1991 Air America super spook Richard Secord showed up in Baku under the cover of MEGA Oil. [740] Secord & Company did military training, sold Israeli arms, passed “brown bags filled with cash” and shipped in over 2,000 Islamist fighters from Afghanistan with help from Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. Afghan heroin began flooding into Baku. Russian economist Alexandre Datskevitch said of 184 heroin labs that police discovered in Moscow in 1991, “Every one of them was run by Azeris, who use the proceeds to buy arms for Azerbaijan’s war against Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh”. [741]

A Turkish intelligence source claims that Exxon and Mobil were behind the 1993 coup against elected Armenian President Abulfaz Elchibey. Secord’s Islamists helped. Osama bin Laden set up an NGO in Baku as a base for attacking the Russians in Chechnya and Dagestan. A more pliant President Heidar Aliyev was installed. In 1996, at the behest of Amoco’s president, he was invited to the White House to meet President Clinton- whose NSA Sandy Berger held $90,000 worth of Amoco stock. [742]

Armenian separatists backed by the CIA took over the strategic Armenian regions of Nagorno-Karabakh and Nakhnichevan which border Turkey and Iran. When Turkish President Turgut Ozal mentioned intervention in Nakhnichevan to back the Azerbaijani seizure, Turkish Premier Suleyman Demirel quickly played down the statement from the key US ally. These two regions are critical to Big Oil plans to build a pipeline from the Caspian Sea across Turkey to the Russian Black Sea port of Novorrossiysk. The same route is utilized by Turkey’s Gray Wolves mafia in their Central Asia to Europe heroin endeavors. When Gray Wolf Mehmet Ali Agca tried to assassinate Pope John Paul II in 1981, the CIA used its Gladio strategy, trying to pin it on Bulgaria’s Communist Lukashenko government.

Lukoil owns 26% of the Russian Black Sea port at Novorrossiysk. Its president Vayit Alekperov wanted to build the Caspian pipeline through Grozny in Chechnya, while the Four Horsemen preferred the route through Turkey. CIA support for Armenian separatists and Chechen Islamist rebels ensured chaos in Grozny. Alekperov finally agreed to the Turkish route.

In 2003 the Defense Department proposed a $3.8 million military training grant for Azerbaijan. Later they admitted it was to protect US access to oil. As author Michael Klare put it, “Slowly but surely, the US military is being converted into a global oil-protection service”. [743]

Turkmenistan, which borders the Caspian Sea on the southeast, is a virtual gas republic, containing massive deposits of natural gas. It also has vast reserves of oil, copper, coal, tungsten, zinc, uranium and gold. The biggest gas field is at Dauletabad in the southeast of the country, near the Afghan border. The Unocal-led Centgas set about building a pipeline which would connect the oil fields around Chardzhan to the Siberian oilfields further north. More crucial to Centgas was a gas pipeline from Dauletabad across Afghanistan and Pakistan to the Indian Ocean. [744] Advisers to the project included Henry Kissinger. Unocal is now part of Chevron.

With the Four Horsemen firmly in charge of Caspian Sea reserves, the Caspian Pipeline Consortium was born. Chevron Texaco took a 15% stake with the other three Horsemen and Lukoil splitting the rest. Pipeline security was provided by the Israeli firm Magal Security Systems, which is connected to Mossad. Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan have especially cozy relations with Israel via Special Ambassador Yusef Maiman, who is president of the Israeli Mehrav Group. Mehrav is involved in a project in Turkey to divert water from the upper Tigres and Euphrates Rivers to the southeast part of Turkey and away from Iraq. [745] The Caspian pipeline was built by Bechtel in partnership with GE and Wilbros Group. The pipeline quietly began moving oil and gas in November 2001, just two months after 911.

Bechtel also built the oilfield infrastructure at Tengiz for Chevron Texaco. In 1995 Bechtel led a USAID-funded consortium to restructure the energy sectors of eleven Central and Eastern European nations in line with IMF mandates. Bechtel received a massive contract to upgrade Russia’s many ailing aluminum smelters in tandem with Pechiney. Lukoil contracted with New Jersey-based ABB Lummus Crest (formed when engineering giants Asea Braun Boveri and Lummis Crest merged) to build a $1.3 billion refinery at the Novorrossysk port and to do a $700 million upgrade on its refinery at Perm.

The Bush Jr. Administration now planned a series of additional Caspian Sea pipelines to compliment the Tenghiz-Black Sea route. A Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan pipeline was built by a Four Horsemen consortium led by BP Amoco. The law firm representing the BP-led consortium is James Baker’s family law firm- Baker Botts. The BP Amoco pipeline runs the length of the country of Georgia through its capital Tblisi.

In February 2002 the US announced plans to send 200 military advisers and attack helicopters to Georgia to “root our terrorism”. [746] The deployment was a smokescreen for pipeline protection. In September 2002 Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivaniov accused Georgia of harboring Chechen rebels. In October 2003 Georgian President Eduard Schevardnadze was forced to step down in a bloodless revolution. According to a December 11, 2003 article on the World Socialist Party website, CIA sponsored the coup.

In September 2004 hundreds of Russian school children were killed when Chechen separatists seized their school building. Russian President Vladimir Putin said of the incident, “Certain political circles in the West want to weaken Russia, just like the Romans wanted to weaken Carthage.” He accused “foreign intelligence services” of complicity in the attacks. His adviser Aslanbek Aslakhanov went further, stating on Russian Channel 2 News, “The men had their conversations not within Russia, but with other countries. They were led on a leash. Our self-styled friends have been working for several decades to dismember Russia… (they are the) puppeteers and are financing terror.” Russia’s KM News ran the headline, “School Seizure was Planned in Washington and London”. [747]

Lukoil epitomizes the corruption so rampant in Russia since the Soviet collapse. Bribery is the norm. Lukoil has given luxury jets to the mayor of Moscow, the head of Gazprom (the state-owned natural gas monopoly) and Kazakhstan President Nazarbayev. In the mid-1990’s Lukoil announced that it would sell another 15 % stake to foreign stockholders through its largest owner and financial adviser CS First Boston and the Bank of New York. [748] In 2002 they announced plans to sell off another big stake.

According to Kurt Wulff of the oil investment firm McDep Associates, the Four Horsemen, romping in their new Far East pastures, saw asset increases from 1988-1994 as follows: Exxon Mobil- 54%, Chevron Texaco- 74%, Royal Dutch/Shell- 52% and BP Amoco- 54%. The Horsemen had more than doubled their collective assets in six short years. This quantum leap in Anglo-American global power had everything to do with the takeover of the old Soviet oil patch and the subsequent impoverishment of its birthright owners.

Dean Henderson is the author of Big Oil & Their Bankers in the Persian Gulf: Four Horsemen, Eight Families & Their Global Intelligence, Narcotics & Terror Network, The Grateful Unrich: Revolution in 50 Countries and Das Kartell der Federal Reserve. Subscriptions to his Left Hook blog are FREE at http://www.deanhenderson.wordpress.com

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Don’t joke. If anyone dares even THINK to target against Russia, much less touch Russia, whats left of the KGB can still put a bullet in every single last Illuminated scum or plutocrat puppeteer. Marx is superior to USA’s current uncontrolled Capitalism where regards the 99% and the middle or lower wealth classes, so the 99% will be firmly behind Socialism/Communism. I can’t imagine Russia tolerating any such nonsense from a fiat wealth group that cannot even handle Iran without hiding behind a proxy USA and Israel. Not finished in the Middle East, can’t control Iraq or Afghanistan and want to try taking on Russia? Unbelievable. Russia could almost invade USA and win right now. China in fact while an ally of Russia has always been wary of Russia’s strength as well, and thats for conventionals not world destroying nukes like Israel or Iran have intentions for! In fact Dean had better tone down, or the KGB will fry Dean’s brain with a satellite without Dean knowing what happened.

The Illuminati can’t be that stupid to even dare try target Russia, they have the ‘class’ bought with money and extreme networks, but try the Soviet Red Guard with other Commie allies combing the world after they take out the USA (and cynically leave Israel for Iran to toy with? Iran is fundo-hateful but hopefully not insane enough to use nukes, though Israel might use Israels own nukes if they panic, so Iran, do the world a favour, don’t make Israel too frightened and wind up causing Israel to end up irradiating everyone . . . ) and ‘no match’ is still the word. BTW Dean probably just pissed off BOTH parties Russia and Illuminati by trying to pit them against each other . . .

Could you imagine going to jail for your faith? A recent report warns that it could happen.

CBN News investigated the growing wave of hostility to Christianity in America that’s led to hundreds of court cases.

No Religion Allowed

Angela Hildenbrand faced the very real possibility of going to jail for her faith. The trouble began when a federal judge ruled that no one at her Texas high school could pray or even use words like “prayer” or “amen” during the 2011 graduation ceremonies.

As class valedictorian, Hildenbrand felt God deserved the praise, even if it meant jail for her.

“I was definitely preparing myself to have to make that sort of tough decision and mentally prepare myself for what well could be coming next,” she told CBN News.

Hildenbrand’s case is just one of more than 640 cases of religious hostility cited in a new report by the Liberty Institute. General Counsel Jeff Mateer, who takes on many of these cases, helped put the survey together.

“The rate of hostility to people of faith is overwhelming,” he said. “It’s increasing. Every day, we’re getting calls.”

One call involved the Veterans Administration demanding to preview Scott Rainey’s prayer for a Memorial Day ceremony at Houston National Cemetery.

They told Rainey, who pastors the Living Word Church of the Nazarene in Houston, he couldn’t pray “in Jesus’ name.”

“I have never said a prayer in my life where I didn’t end it saying ‘in the name of Jesus Christ I pray, amen,'” Pastor Rainey said.

Contending for the Faith

Mateer is also working to save this veteran’s memorial cross in San Diego, one of several cases that could have serious national consequences if courts order their removal.

“Are we going to bulldoze all those crosses?” Mateer asked. “We’re going to sandblast God from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier?”

But Mateer says the good news is, when believers fight back, they usually win.

“You need to stand up and fight,” he said. “And that’s exactly what Angela did.”

Just one day before Hildenbrand’s graduation, an appeals court ruled she could pray and say whatever she wanted.

“I thank You for Your great love for us and for our great nation, where we are free,” she prayed at her graduation. “And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray, amen.”

Courts eventually ruled that Pastor Rainey — and all veterans at burials — are allowed to freely express their faith.

But there is an across-the-board assault of religious hostility, and Americans’ religious liberty hangs in the balance.

[[[ *** RESPONSE ** ]]]

Let Christians stop abusing the people around them or let those abused or vilified by Christianity first be exhonerated and healed before any talk of fighting back. Until then hostility to this insane Aramean sect and cult of personality and cult of man, will continue until Monotheism is sandblasted off the Earth. Thats just one creep that inspires abuse and insanity in the followers, as opposed to the glory of the Universe and all beings not yet evolved but enslaved instantaneously with no chance to be Man’s equal by a verse in a biblical text written 2000 years ago as opposed to the Earth’s 2 billion years of age. Presumptuous egregore formed of the dead! Who gave the cult of a single fundamentalist man born 2000 years ago permission to disenfranchise the UNIVERSE and all non-human species? Christianity emboldens the followers to bully and disregard the rights of non-Christians, non-humans, all alien sentient/sapient life in the Universe . . .

ARTICLE 15

French National Front leader Marine Le Pen calls for ban on wearing of the Jewish skullcap in public – ‘in the name of equality’ – By Peter Allen – PUBLISHED: 16:55 GMT, 23 September 2012 | UPDATED: 18:01 GMT, 23 September 2012

Ban on full-face coverings – including the Islamic veil – came into force in France last year
Marine Le Pen is now calling for a ban on all religious headgear, as well as kosher and halal food in schools

‘What would people say if I only asked to ban Muslim clothing? They would burn me as a Muslim hater’

Far Right: French National Front leader Marine Le Pen has called for a ban on Jewish headgear

Far right politician Marine Le Pen has caused outrage across France by calling for the banning of the Jewish skullcap in public.

The leader of National Front won a fifth of the popular vote during the first round of May’s presidential election on a largely anti-Muslim immigration agenda.

Now in an interview she has called not just for a ban on the wearing of Islamic veils in public, but also the kippah – leading to France’s most senior Rabbi to describe her view as ‘deeply deplorable’.

Her inflammatory words come at a time of heightened tensions caused by a Paris satirical magazine’s decision to publish a series of cartoons mocking both Islam and Judaism.

One of the images in Charlie Hebdo shows a Prophet Mohammed character being pushed around in a wheelchair by a Rabbi.

Ms Le Pen told Le Monde that all religious headwear should be banned ‘in shops, on public transport and on the streets’.

‘It’s obvious that if the veil is banned, the kippah should be banned in public as well,’ she said. The French parliament passed a ban on full-face coverings, including the Islamic veil in 2010 and the law came into force last year.

Miss Le Pen, whose infamous father Jean-Marie Le Pen is a convicted racist and anti-Semite, also called for a ban on public prayers.

And she said kosher and halal foods should be outlawed in schools, along with foreign governments being allowed to pay for mosques.

Schoolgirl, 15, flees to France on a ferry with with her male maths TEACHER, 30, as her desperate parents beg for her to return home
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a giant manned dragonfly, a tool-box and tandem cyclists soaring across southern France
Crackdown as France bans anyone from protesting about cartoons criticising Prophet Mohammad

‘Jewish skullcaps are obviously not a problem in our country,’ she said, insisting nevertheless that France has to ‘ban them in the name of equality’.

‘The situation in our country has changed. We used to have a fragile balance between religions, but massive immigration has changed that,’ Ms Le Pen said.

‘Veils and jilbabs are putting us under pressure. France is a victim of sectarian political groups due to the ruling parties’ incapacity to deal with the problem.

‘What would people say if I had only asked to ban Muslim clothing? They would burn me as a Muslim hater.’

President Francois Hollande attacked Ms Le Pen’s comments.

‘Everything that tears people apart, opposes them and divides them is inappropriate,’ he said. ‘We must apply the rules, the only rules that we know – the rules of the Republic and secularism.’

Religious headgear: The kippah, or yarmulke, is usually worn by Orthodox or Hasidic Jews who believe the head must be covered at all times

On Friday Mr Hollande opened a new Holocaust memorial in Paris, commemorating the thousands of Jews who were sent to their deaths after being held at the Drancy internment camp.

The camp was run by French policemen working alongside the SS, and rolling stock from France’s national railway, SNCF, was used to take victims to Germany.

Mr Cope said: ‘Marine Le Pen wants to ban any signs of religion on the streets, starting with the veil and the kippah.

‘By doing this, she shows she does not understand anything about secularism. Secularism is not about the eradication of all religious expressions in society.’

Gilles Bernheim, France’s Chief Rabbi, said: ‘Mixing up the tradition of the skullcap and the veil only generates more confusion in people’s minds. I deeply deplore her statement.’

And Richard Prasquier, leader of the CRIF Jewish council in France, said the Ms Le Pen’s claims showed there were ‘secular fanatics just as there are religious fanatics’.

‘Obviously, I am hostile to both,’ he said.

The CFCM, France’s main Muslim council, meanwhile said that Le Pen wanted to ‘set up a totalitarian regime in France.’

There are around half-a-million Jews in France, many of them living in major cities like Paris, where skull caps have been a familiar sight for centuries.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

As John F. Hickory of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City fame once said “I am not a racist I hate everyone regardless of other issues. . . . I’m a patriot! I’ve even got an orange grove tattooed all over my groin.”

Le Pen needs an Orange Grove tattooed on her groin.

ARTICLE 16

Katy Perry ‘Paid £1.2 Million’ To Sing At Holly Valance’s Lavish Wedding – And That’s Not All! All the pricey details on one fairytale wedding October 2, 2012

Every bride wants their wedding day to be special, but it looks like Holly Valance’s was a no expense spared kind of celebration as the ex Neighbours actress reportedly paid Katy Perry £1.2 million to perform at her wedding to billionaire business man Nick Candy.

The couple tied the knot on Saturday in a lavish ceremony in Beverley Hills, with the eventual costs reported to have topped £3 million. The ‘Firework’ singer performed a 45-minute set at the party, but she wasn’t the only entertainment as the cast of Jersey Boys were flown out from London to LA especially to perform for the bride, who is said to be a fan of the musical.

Of the 330 guests their were faces from fashion, celebrity, TV and even royalty. Nancy Dell’Olio, artist Tracey Emin, Strictly Come Dancing judge Bruno Tonioli and milliner Philip Treacy were amongst guests as were Simon Cowell, Elton John, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie who sipped champagne and mojito cocktails as they enjoyed the festivities and entertainment.

Holly Valance and Nick Candy tie the knot (Splash News)

Holly made sure all eyes were on her on the big day with her J’Aton Couture gown featuring a dramatic 15ft veil with sweetheart neckline. The custom made gown wasn’t exactly cheap either with the darker shades of the dress thought to have cost £35,000 alone.

The ‘Kiss Kiss’ singer made sure to thank the designer on Twitter for the creation, she wrote: “Thank u 2 the most supremely talented & divine humans I’ve come across in a long time @JAtonCouture U R just phenomenal. Love u & all u do.X [sic]”

Let’s hope they have some change left over for honeymoon.

The Most Lavish Wedding Ever? Holly and Nick Tie The Knot

Holly Valance is clearly a fan of the “more is more” school of thought – just check out that lavish train and veil! September 30 2012 (Splash News)

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Fellow stars should offer to perform for free. 1.2 mill for a wedding is just mercenary, especially for those in the same boat and same industry. How about covering 1.2 million worth of foreclosures for the average American about to lose their home instead of this meaningless and cynical wealth exchange between plutocrats?

ARTICLE 17

It’s not a nudist exhibition! Nancy Dell’Olio proves keen to show off the female form in low cut playsuit at gallery opening – by Fehintola Betiku – PUBLISHED: 01:21 GMT, 5 October 2012 | UPDATED: 06:53 GMT, 5 October 2012

At 51-years-old she has the confidence to step out in ensemble that some might argue are better suited to ladies half her age.

But not concerned with what naysayers have to say, Nancy Dell’Olio was pictured on Thursday evening in an eye-popping low cut playsuit.

The former Strictly Come Dancing star put her plunging attire to the test as she leaned forward and posed for photographers at the opening of Ellie Davies’ exhibition in London.

Doing it her way: Nancy Dell’Olio stepped out in a revealing all-in-one on Thursday evening as she attended photographer Ellie Davies’ exhibition in London

Allowing her loosely curled dark locks to fall at her shoulders, Nancy’s attempted to cover up a little by teaming her thigh skimming all in one with a pair of sheer tights.

FIRST LISTEN: Adele cements herself as a true Bond icon with release of official theme tune for Skyfall
Standing out for all the wrong reasons: The X Factor’s Rylan Clark commits fashion fail as contestants prepare for first live show
Lady in leather: The Saturdays’ Mollie King smoulders as she enjoys solo photo shoot

With a pair of knee high black suede heeled boots completing her look, Dell’Olio accessorised with silver looped drop earrings and a black clutch bag.

The ever glamorous American-Italian lawyer created feline eyes with lashings of black liner as she opted to keep the rest of her make-up to a minimal.

Eye popping! Nancy beamed as she posed for photographers in the low cut playsuit

Too much… The 51-year-old completed her look with knee high boots and a sheer tights

The socialite was seen making her presence known during exhibition, which was held at The Richard Young gallery, as she worked the room and chatted with other guests.

But ensuring her daring get-up didn’t go to waste, Nancy made her rounds whilst stopping every so often to strike a pose against a piece of art which lined the walls in the space.

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This is NOT near nudist anything. The whole dress is really conservative and somewhat classy, if not for the decolletage (also conservative V necked button top which is already unisex) , there would be no sense of feminity in the clothing. One sees more semi topless (semi-topless is not topless, topless with breasts entierly exposed alone, is not nudism either, just toplessness) people at gala events far more dressed down. This doesn’t really make any non-fundo type (or barely out of adolescent types, or ill disciplined types – Olio’s attached – so unless ready to fight for relationship rights with whoever don’t bother) feel anything.

Cements Adele as an ‘Bondworld’ icon? Not really . . . Adele’s the ‘Moneypenny’ of the Bondworld crossed with a young M more like . . .

With more than 26million followers on her Twitter account, it makes sense that Rihanna should choose the micro-blogging site to unveil promotional material for her new perfume.

‘Here is my new add for a brand new fragrance #NUDE !!! Make sure you smell sexy, especially naked, this fall,’ tweeted the Barbados-born recording artist on Friday.

The ad shows the 24-year-old mega star wearing nothing but cream lace lingerie, a piece of gauze fabric draped strategically over her crotch.
Her latest incarnation: Rihanna tweeted this new ad for her new fragrance ‘Nude’ on Friday

Her latest incarnation: Rihanna tweeted this new ad for her new fragrance Nude on Friday

‘Is there such a thing as loving two people?’ Chris Brown opens up about Rihanna romance in candid new video… which shows footage of pair together

The singer’s release of the photograph comes after a week of drama which saw her spend three nights running in the company of her ex Chris Brown, whose assault on his then girlfriend in 2009 left Rihanna hospitalised.

Debut: Rihanna wrote to her 26million followers about the fragrance on Friday

Another night with Chris: Rihanna heads to the airport after attending Jay-Z’s concert in New York with Brown

Brown on Thursday confirmed he had split from his current girlfriend, explaining he didn’t want to hurt Karrueche Tran as a result of his ‘friendship’ with Rihanna.

Brown then released a video in which he asks: ‘IS it possible to love two people?’

Meanwhile Rihanna made a veiled reference to Brown as she wrote on her Twitter: ‘Ain’t nobody bidness….. But mine and my baby!’

And friends of the pair are said to be concerned about their potential reconciliation.

Loving the drama: Friends of Chris and Rihanna are said to be concerned about the rconciliation

A source told RadarOnline.com: ‘Chris and Rihanna just love the drama. They know their fans don’t support them getting back together, and that it’s a terrible PR move since Chris was convicted of beating Rihanna.

‘However, this is what Chris and Rihanna thrive on. There are still major trust issues that Rihanna has with Chris, with good reason, he was hooking up with her while he was still dating Karrueche. Chris and Rihanna back together in any capacity is just a disaster in the making.’

Chris was yesterday seen jetting out of New York to Los Angeles following three consecutive nights of partying with Rihanna.

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Wearing any sort of lingerie or anything cancels nakedness because of the presence of clothing on the body, in this case lingerie. Which makes the advert oxymoronic in reference to name of the perfume. Also ‘cream lace’ (refers to the colour of the lace) is NOT THE SAME AS ‘cream lace lingerie’ (refers to the colour of the lace UPON the lingerie). Cream, lace and cream-lace are also different things when stated on their own. So if lingerie is being worn, a person cannot be naked. Cockt3as3! This perfume is going to be another misnomer if the inventor won’t even honour the name of the perfume by being naked on their own advert. Any REAL naked people ready to do a real naked perfume? Hint of a ‘less than rude girl’ appears! Get naked for REAL, no more of the misnomer dis-industry!

FORMER Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad created quite a stir when he remarked “Better the devil you know than the angel you don’t.”

This is a well-known saying which means that it’s better to deal with an entity you are familiar with, even if they are not ideal, than take the risk of dealing with an unknown entity, who could end up being worse.

He was, of course, referring to Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat and urging the public to stick with the former, which has ruled the country since independence.
Politics being politics, PR leaders were quick to make fun of his choice of idioms and claim that Mahathir was admitting that BN was the devil and PR the angel.

In retrospect, he probably should have used a variation of that idiom which goes something like “Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t”, which is commonly used as well. That way, his detractors would not be able to claim that they were the angels.

People fluent in English will know exactly what he means though. He’s saying that BN, while not perfect, has done a pretty good job so far so it’s better not to change course. He’s also saying that PR, which says all the right things but which has no experience, would be worse for the country.

Let’s examine, not his choice of words but the context of what he’s saying. Does it make sense? Let’s start by looking at the first part. Has BN done a good job so far?

Of course supporters of BN will say yes while detractors will say no. Objective observers will probably say that while BN is far from perfect, it hasn’t exactly driven the country to the ground either. Malaysia doesn’t score particularly well in global indexes relating to economic competitiveness, human rights, free speech and so on. But it’s a far cry from the banana republics.

In other words, things are not too bad. People have jobs, roofs over their heads and no one is starving. As a country, we could have turned out a lot worse. So, yes, there’s some merit in the first part of Mahathir’s quote. What about the second?

Is PR the angel that we don’t know? For sure, PR is promising a lot of things that are popular with civil society. Stuff related to freedom of assembly, free speech, freedom of the press and so on. It has also promised lots of populist measures like cutting petrol prices, offering free education and reducing car taxes that would see a considerable lowering of car prices.

Is all this too good to be true? Probably. For sure if PR were to come to power, it would not be able to fulfil everybody’s expectations. But is it a newbie that will totally disappoint?

This is where the idiom doesn’t apply. PR might be newish but it’s hardly an unknown quantity. Since the March 8, 2008 general election, it has governed four states, two of which are probably the most prosperous states in the federation: Penang and Selangor.

I’m from Penang (and visit there frequently) and live in Selangor. I can safely report that the two states have not gone to the dogs since PR took over. Some would argue that things have improved considerably. Of course there are those who will say there’s still plenty of room for improvement, and they would be right. But it would be laughable to suggest that things have become worse.

Ironically, given that the incumbent in those two states is PR, the idiom would apply in PR’s favour. The so-called devil that you know, in this case, would be PR, which has governed these two states for the past four years. The angel, meanwhile, is BN, which was decimated in those states, to the point that it is no longer recognisable.

BN was destroyed in Penang. Who knows what the new Penang BN would be like? BN was not as badly trounced in Selangor but it has no clear leader in the state. With Khir Toyo no longer in the picture, who is the mentri besar-in-waiting? No one knows. The BN government-in-waiting in those states might or might not be angels, but we certainly don’t know much about them.

For voters, the next general election will not be about familiarity, or the lack thereof, because it is clear what BN and PR stand for.

BN might be worth voting. Otherwise stagnation will occur and PR will be a risk to the Rakyat when PR gains power.

ARTICLE 2

Statutory rape is SERIOUS: Future of victims just as important as perpetrators’ – Eli Wong – Friday, 31 August 2012 01:28

Like all concerned Malaysians I am very disturbed by the recent two court decisions on statutory rape offenses.

First, national bowler Noor Afizal, who was convicted of raping a 13-year-old girl, had his jail sentence reversed by the Court of Appeal.

It was then compounded by Tuesday’s Sessions Court decision in the case of Chuah Guan Jiu, who was found guilty of raping a 12-year-old girl, yet freed on a bond.

Statutory rape isn’t something to be taken lightly. To consider “consent” in the sentencing, as both courts did, is to make a mockery of the very point of the law–to protect minors, deemed incapable of giving free and informed consent.

This is especially true in cases where the perpetrator is an adult, which is true in both these cases. These incidents should not be confused as young children letting their hormonal urges get the better of them.

Both Noor Afizal and Chuah Guan Jiu were adults who took advantage of children far younger than themselves. The former was 19 when he committed the offence with a 13-year-old girl, while the latter was 21, nine years older than his victim.

Future of the perpetrators, what about the victims?

Disappointingly, the courts were more concerned with the future of the perpetrators and not the victims.

The written judgement in Nor Afizal’s case specifically states that the decision should not be taken as a precedent. However, by not imposing the mandatory five-year minimum jail sentence for rape, the courts are sending a very unfortunate message to women and children–that their rights cannot be protected by our judiciary.

Worse, potential child rapists might think it is possible to escape the punishment the crime deserves.

I urge the public prosecutors to appeal both decisions on these grounds. Malaysians will be watching very closely, hoping for justice to finally be done.

I am all for personal freedoms but when it comes to children and sex, well… all bets are off. Chuah Guan Jiu was 21 when he had sex with a 12-year-old girl. But the judge gave him a break because he did not have a criminal record, is not well educated and the sex was consensual. So what is the

message here? If you have never committed an offence before and did not go to college, you are “poor thing, give chance”? Come on.If this were a drug or firearms offence, the same “considerations” would not be given.Having sex with a child is wrong. Pure and simple.

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Elizabeth Wong should know that far more serious is the inability to tell the difference and even attempt to blur the lines between the difference between Statuary Rape AND Consensual Sex NOT AMOUNTING TO RAPE between biologically viable adult women that Statuary Rape Laws Brand as

Women, preventing the right to bear children to younger women. Perhaps, in a certain spiritual theory, there is an occult reason to prevent the ‘masses’ from having young brides having children at young age. And the Fundos are in on this? Is the quality of children by older women different?

Some things should not be used as ‘weapons’ and this intentional inculpation of inability to tell the difference between biological viability and QUALITY of birth could well be the make or break factor in the ascension of a country spiritually . . . these are theories that no nation can ignore. Perhaps all great leaders and spiritually powerful people were borne by the youngest mothers, though again remember that the planet can only host so many people and that everyone including non-humans have a right to live on the planet and cannot ‘own’ anything on the planet, though having an equitable birth rate that at least replaces deaths is alright – there are too many people for a single species btw, out of 100s of 1000s of species, humanity taking up near 40% of the world’s land area is obviously too much . . .

Biological maturity and psychological-emotional maturity are not statuary age. And statuary age does not take into consideration biological age and psychological-emotional maturity. Are Joan or Elizabeth sure they are aware of the difference between WORD of law or SPIRIT of law? Hegelian dialectic AGAIN. Joan and Elizebeth entirely miss the spirit of the law of this case. Having sex with a blindly legalistic statuary age defined ‘child’ is not wrong if the above biological and emotional maturity fact is considered because the final result is actually a mature person in reality – even as age by blindly interpreted ‘word of law’ for statuary consideration, does not recognize reality. ‘Pure and simple’ is not supposed to be fundo and simplistic. And here the display of lack of understanding of the spirit of the issue, or perhaps intentional focusing only on the ‘word of the law’ shows up another 2 of the country’s supposed educated as agenda intent if not uneducated, much like apartheid is accepted by those who no sense of pride as persons as given by the UN Human Rights Charter.

We must remember that before Victorian era, many child brides lived fulfilling lives with their husbands and many of this generation have had a great(or any number of greats)-granny who was a child bride that turned out fine. Who is Joan to say what 2 individuals decide on their own and at their consent? These are private lives and if consensual, and because the child did not suffer and wanted to, especially if the manipulation from the adult was non-existent or within decent limits (thrill of chase etc.), no person or even the court has a right to punish any as no suffering was inflicted except upon the narrow minded or with a certain religious outlook.

This ‘If you have never committed an offence before and did not go to college, you are “poor thing, give chance”?‘, is pure ‘old aunt’s’ demogoguery in quite an uneducated manner. You see one can have a degree yet not be educated in mindset. And mindset wise Joan IS uneducated, as much as Elizabeth is insulting the readers by inculpating hegelian dialectic thought via demogoguery upin the suffering of victims for political points.

Come on.If this were a drug or firearms offence, the same “considerations” would not be given.

Drugs or firearms offences (private carry or use specifically, not smuggling or sale to fundo or 3rd world states) as of now are also more word of law than spirit of law, the premise for existence and application not particularly PC as in a similar manner as the above statuary age case. See the next article below on differences between positive child marriage AND negative child marriage, considered against statuary law and ACTUAL biological age.

Why does the age of the person determine which court has jurisdiction over cases involving illicit sex or zina? Do you mean to tell me that if you are not yet 18 then you are not yet a Muslim? Only when you reach 18 you become a Muslim? Can those under 18, therefore, drink and eat pork and go to church since you are not yet a Muslim and the Sharia court has no power over you until you touch 18?

You may have noticed that I have not written a thing regarding former national youth squad bowler Noor Afizal Azizan’s statutory rape case.

First of all, I thought that since every man and his dog was already talking about it you don’t really need me to comment as well. I mean it is not quite the untold story that I normally like to dabble in. It is more like the ‘over-told’ story.

Furthermore, do you really need more ‘noise’? There is such a thing called overkill and flogging a dead horse (an idiom). There is also such a thing called information overload, which makes people lethargic and sometimes immune to the issue. Hence ‘too much’ can be counter-productive.

Secondly, this appears to have turned into an opposition crusade, which is bad. Once it is perceived as a political issue rather than an issue of justice, people become divided on the issue based on political leanings and not because it is either the right thing or the wrong thing. People will oppose right or support wrong if the criteria is politics. Take crossovers as one example.

Anyway, what is my take on the issue?

Okay, are you outraged about the court’s decision because you are an opposition supporter or because it is morally (or legally) wrong to not classify the case as statutory rape instead of consensual sex? (Note that even some of those in government feel the same way as you do although they speak ‘gentler’ in expressing their view and without the venom).

I think a more important question would be are you capable of setting aside politics when you talk about this issue — or any issue for that matter that involves justice, civil liberties, etc? Can we leave our Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat hats outside the door and come to the table as Malaysians of common interests and concerns?

That is the one thing we find most difficult to do. It is always politics first and everything else second, even in matters such as Hudud, which is supposed to be above politics but is not.

Okay, so a man (or boy) has sex with an underage girl. My first question would be: are the men/boy and girl Muslims? If they are then this is zina (illicit sex or sex outside marriage). And is not zina a crime under the Sharia (Islamic law)? Hence should not the boy and girl be tried under the Sharia?

If the man/boy and girl were both above 18 they would have been brought to the Sharia court. Why are they not brought to the Sharia court just because one or both are below 18?

In Islam, the ‘age of consent’ would be the age of puberty. For girls that would be once she gets her period and that could even be when she is nine years old. According to the Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari, the Prophet Muhammad married Aishah when she was six but did not ‘take her’ until she was nine. And aren’t Muslims supposed to believe in and strictly follow the Hadith and Sunnah or else they cease to be Muslims and would become kafir (infidels).

Hence if the girl is 13 and she already has her period, is she legally (in Islam, that is) a woman who can consent to sex or is she still a child? And hence, also, since she is a Muslim and ‘legally a woman’, is she accountable for her ‘crime’ of consenting to sex or is she blameless? In other words, if the Sharia court were to try them, would both be on trial or only the man/boy?

Okay, we can argue that the Sharia court does not come into play here. This matter does not involve the Sharia court.

Why not? If Muslims above 18 ‘get caught’ for illicit sex they get dragged to the Sharia court. The common law court has no power to try Muslim adults who have sex outside marriage. In fact, sex outside marriage is not a crime under common law (even for Muslims) unless it is same-gender or gay sex.

Why does the age of the person determine which court has jurisdiction over cases involving illicit sex or zina? Do you mean to tell me that if you are not yet 18 then you are not yet a Muslim? Only when you reach 18 you become a Muslim? Can those under 18, therefore, drink and eat pork and go to church since you are not yet a Muslim and the Sharia court has no power over you until you touch 18?

Okay, what if the church or Christians preaches Christianity to Malay boys and girls of 13 or 14 (in short, below 18). Is this a crime? A crime under which law? Common law? Under common law it is not a crime to preach Christianity to Malay children. It is only a crime according to the Religious Department.

But the Religious Department does not have power over us until we are 18. Islam recognises 9-year olds as adults. Common law does not. We are adults only at 18. And common law decides whether we are adults. Not the Religious Department.

So how?

The question is: who has power over Muslims? The common law courts or the Sharia courts? And why does the common law court have power over us until we are 18 and then the Sharia court takes over after that? Is age 18 the ‘legally adult’ age in Islam? And if 18 were the legal adult age under Islam, can Muslims below 18 get married?

Yes, Muslims below 18 can get marriage on condition they are ‘adults’ (meaning reached puberty) and they have their parent’s consent. Hence at that age they are already responsible for their own actions, even in crimes of illicit sex.

But then we are not talking about the Qur’an, Hadith, Sunnah or Islamic law here. We are talking about common law. Hence common law overrides the Qur’an, Hadith, Sunnah or Islamic law and will decide at what age you are an adult and at what age you are still a child. And you will face the common law court when you are legally a child and the Sharia court once you are legally an adult. And although Islam has decided the age of adulthood, Islam has no power over Muslims because the laws of the land and Islam do not work in tandem.

Crazy or not? In Islam, religion decides when we become an adult and hence can get married and have sex. But Islam does not have the power to decide at what age we would be considered as having consensual sex outside marriage. That the common law decides. And that age is 18.

Now, who decides when we cease being a child and legally become an adult although at the age of nine we already discovered the difference between a boy and girl and knew what to do with that thing between our legs? Well, the 222 Members of Parliament, of course. They pass all the laws and they have decided that only at age 17 we can drive and at age 18 we can have sex and at age 21 we can vote.

But why at age 17, 18 and 21 respectively?

Queen Isabella of Valois married Richard II when she was 6 years, 11 months and 25 days old.

David II married Joan, the daughter of Edward II, when he was 4 years and 134 days old.

Louis XIV of France became King at age 5 and took over full control at 23.

Joan of Arc led the French against the English at age 17.

And of course we have that story regarding Aishah, the wife of Prophet Muhammad.

In those days, you married as soon as you legally became a woman, which was when you got your period, and would have been around age 9-11. At age 10-13 boys joined the army and fought and died for their country. These were ages when you were no longer children.

I know, times have changed and we no longer consider girls of 10 or boys of 13 as adults. That may be so when it comes to common law but not if we consider religion.

So, are we outraged about the case of Noor Afizal Azizan because we perceive it as him having sex with an underage girl and the law says a girl of 13 cannot consent to sex and hence he broke the law? Okay, so it is the law that we are concerned about, am I correct?

The law says that a girl of 13 cannot consent to sex. This is a law passed by Parliament, the body that can legally pass laws, which we all must follow. And since Noor Afizal Azizan broke the law passed by Parliament we are outraged.

Okay, I can accept that. The law must be followed. After all this is a law passed by Parliament. But hold on, Parliament also passed a law that says we must get a police permit if we want to hold a demonstration. Should this law not also be followed since we are extremely concerned about the law?

Was Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim therefore correct in that the law must be followed?

Hmm…touché or not touché?

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Amend laws that make no sense, stop talking about Tunku this and that. If a writer uses keeps using any person as a point of reference in matters of common sense instead of consideration of facts, they are dishonest writers involved in inculpation of cult of personality mentality rather than logic based judgments.

Drugs or firearms offences (private carry or use specifically, not smuggling or sale to fundo or 3rd world states) as of now are also more word of law than spirit of law, the premise for existence and application not particularly PC as in a similar manner as the above statuary age case. Good exposition on child marriage issues and examples of ‘child’ marriages in either case.

(The Star) – Ex-Sepang DAP parliamentary liaison committee member Tan Tuan Tat, who was accused of forging 149 membership forms, has produced two former party supporters to back him up.

Mahful Wahid said he had collected membership forms from some 100 people in Kampung Teluk Manggis and Taman Kedidi as they were interested in becoming DAP members.

“I approached Tan for help to submit the forms to Selangor DAP. Why was he accused of forgery?” he said, adding that he, too, had been interested in joining DAP.

Such accusations, added Mahful, had caused him to lose confidence in Pakatan Rakyat.

DAP disciplinary committee chairman Tan Kok Wai said that Tuan Tat, who had been in the party for 18 years, had been charged with forging the membership forms to set up three pro tem branches in Sungai Pelek, Sepang.

He also claimed that the MyKad of people from Sungai Pelek were used without their knowledge to enrol them as DAP members.

Former Pantai Sepang Putra DAP chief R. Veerasamy echoed Mahful’s views, saying that he had also approached Tuan Tat for help to forward the forms to the state DAP’s office.

“In the end, I was found guilty of falsifying the applications and sacked,” he said during a press conference here yesterday.

Denying the accusations, Tuan Tat said it was meant to slander his integrity and credibility.

“Don’t defame me. I did not forge any forms.

“The forms were genuine and came from people who wanted to join DAP,” he said.

Tuan Tat, who used to be Taman Sri Sungai Pelek branch chairman before leaving the party last week, said DAP had deviated from its original spirit and essence.

He also disputed Tan’s charge that he was sacked from the party.

“How can I be sacked when I resigned first?” he said.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

3rd Force needs you Tuan Tat! BN is corrupt and racist. PR is nepotistic and undemocratic!

But the political parties that they belong to will not allow this. Although they are called Wakil Rakyat, in reality they are Wakil Parti. They have to represent their party, not us, the voters. And when they try to do what they are supposed to do, the party will pounce on them. Hence they have to toe the party line or else they will be suspended, or worse, sacked.

No, this is not an anti-government article. It is not an opposition-whacking article either. This is an article about why we vote for 222 Malaysians to represent us in Parliament — never mind whether you voted (or will be voting) for Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat. That is not important. What is important is: why do we vote?

We vote for 222 Malaysians to go to Parliament (and another almost 600 State Assemblypersons for the State Assemblies as well — known as ADUNs) so that they can become our representatives or wakil.

The Malays have the correct term for this. These people we vote for (both MPs and ADUNs) are called Wakil Rakyat in Malay, which means Citizen’s Representative (or People’s Representative).

And, as the name implies, that is exactly what they are supposed to do — represent us, the voters.

But the political parties that they belong to will not allow this. Although they are called Wakil Rakyat, in reality they are Wakil Parti. They have to represent their party, not us, the voters. And when they try to do what they are supposed to do, the party will pounce on them. Hence they have to toe the party line or else they will be suspended, or worse, sacked.

Why call them Wakil Rakyat then? They cannot function as Wakil Rakyat. We might as well call them Wakil Parti. And in the coming general election, 10 million Malaysians can go to the polling stations to vote for the Wakil Parti.

Both Barisan Nasional as well as Pakatan Rakyat are equally guilty of this. And since we do not have a ‘third force’, so to speak — unless the rakyat can be regarded as that third force — that is how things are going to be for a long time to come.

But, no, I am not going to talk about the third force. Malaysians are too dumb to understand the meaning of ‘third force’. To most people, ‘third force’ means three-corner contests. Then they will say I am trying to sabotage Pakatan Rakyat so that Barisan Nasional can retain power.

So what if some Members of Parliament (never mind BN or PR) go against their party stand? If it is for the good of the rakyat why can’t they break ranks and not toe the party line? That is why we sent them to Parliament (or the State Assemblies) in the first place.

In America, the Congressmen or Senators from the President’s own party can vote against the President while those from the other side will vote in support of the Bill that the President is proposing. On more than one occasion the President’s Bill had been defeated by his own party while those from the other side actually voted in support of it. No one was suspended or sacked because of this.

I know, some of you are now going to argue that we follow the British Westminster system and that this is how they do things in the UK. They have the Parliament Whip whose job is to ensure that no one breaks ranks.

Okay, if we are so concerned about what they do in Britain, and hence we need to follow the British model, then what about the written constitution? Britain does not have a written constitution. Why not follow Britain and abolish our Constitution?

I have no problems with that. Then no longer will Islam be the religion of the Federation or Malays have special privileges or the Agong be the Supreme Head of the Federation and all that. Britain’s ‘laws’ do not allow a Prime Minister not from the Church of England. You must belong to the Church of England. You want to follow that as well since it is very important that we follow the UK?

Some things we say we MUST follow. Other things we don’t want to follow. Apa ni? Gay marriages also allowed in England, mah! Want to follow or not?

This sorry state of affairs can only be corrected by you, the voters. If you, the voters, insist that the Wakil Rakyat speak for us and not for their party, only then can it happen.

I am going to tell you a story about why Ali is my favourite of the four (Rightly-Guided) Caliphs of Medina. And, no, it is not because I am a follower of the Shia sect of Islam.

Ali was the last of the four Medinan Caliphs. The Shias, however, allege that Ali was robbed of his right to be the First Caliph. I am not going to talk about that. What I want to talk about is he almost became the Third Caliph. And according to the story this is what happened.

As Omar, the Second Caliph, lay dying, he told the people of Medina to form a committee to decide on who should succeed him when he dies. A few candidates were selected and finally it was short-listed to just two, Osman and Ali.

A few interviews were conducted and during the final interview Osman was asked how he would rule if he was chosen as Caliph. Osman replied he would rule according to tradition and by following the example of the Prophet.

Ali was asked the same question and he replied he would rule according to his conscience and with God as his guide.

Osman got the job and some historians say that that was the beginning of the decline of the Islamic Empire. Osman appointed his relatives to important posts in the government and corruption soon emerged. One of Osman’s blunders was he appointed his cousin Muawiyah as the Governor of Syria. When Osman died and Ali took over, Muawiyah declared war on Ali, the first ever war where Muslims fought Muslims (and have been fighting ever since)

I know many Islamists will disagree with my analysis of events, although these events did take place. Nevertheless, my interpretation of this event is Osman said he would follow tradition while Ali said he would follow his conscience. And we have seen how tradition may not always be the best thing to follow.

And the same goes to the issue of our Wakil Rakyat. Forget about tradition, especially Westminster tradition. Follow your conscience. Did we, the voters, or your party vote you into office? And if we voted you into office then serve us instead of your party.

Taman Chi Liung Indah head K Yogasigamany reminded the state party leadership that time had lapsed to promote the Ganapathirau as a former ISA detainee and his so-called involvement in Hindraf Makkal Sakti.

He said DAP grassroots members and constituents know that Ganapathirau, who now leads NGO Malaysian Indian voice, was not a Hindraf leader.

“Constituents have realised that Ganapathirau was never the Hindraf leader or Indian hero.

“He is no more relevant for Indian community.

“It will be futile and fatal for party leadership to field Ganapathirau in Kota Alam Shah.

How about Ganapathirau run as an independent candidate? Who needs DAP’s nepotism and crony capitalism? Be a Wakil Rakyat not a Wakil Parti.

ARTICLE 7

About the next government – Saturday, 01 September 2012 Super Admin – Raja Petra Kamarudin

This is not about whether Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat is worse. This is about doing the honest thing. When you do party work the rakyat must not be made to pay for it. And when Parliament and the State Assemblies have been dissolved you are committing criminal breach of trust by

continuing to use the government facilities for your personal political campaigns and party work.

First have a look at the Google Analytical graphic below. Those are Malaysia Today’s figures for the pre-Raya, Raya, and post-Raya period.

On Friday, 17th August 2012, Malays began to leave town to return to their kampung. That was when the figures started declining. By Saturday, more people left town (even many non-Malays) and the figures dropped even further.

The non-Malays did not return to work until Wednesday last week, and that was when the figures started to increase again. Most Malays, however, stayed away the entire week until Sunday. On Monday this week, the figures returned to normal when everyone was back in town.

Now, while the figures over last week were down quite a bit because many people were still back in their kampung, the comments, however, did not suffer. And even when the figures went up again this week, the comments more or less remained the same.

From these figures I can only assume two things. First is that Malaysia Today’s Malay readership is quite large. And that is why the figures drop when the Malays are away. Secondly is that most of those who comment are non-Malays. And that is why while the Malay readership declines the comments do not.

Of course, thirdly, based on the type of comments posted, we can also assume that most of those who comment are not yet of the age of maturity. And that is why many comments are very childish. (You should read the ones we deleted. They will shock you).

Anyway, what I want to talk about today is regarding the next government. You see, when Parliament is dissolved to make way for the next general election, in principle Malaysia no longer has a government. What we have is merely a caretaker government and a caretaker Prime Minister.

Now, even Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said this back in 2006. Dr Mahathir explained that in principle there is no longer any government but just a caretaker Prime Minister. But he could not understand, Dr Mahathir said, why no one realises this and never challenged it.

In short, the Cabinet no longer exists, as everyone would have already been ‘sacked’, so to speak. Parliament has been dissolved so technically we no longer have any Members of Parliament. Hence, if we no longer have any Members of Parliament, then we no longer have a Prime Minister or Ministers.

Can the Prime Minister still use his office and other facilities such as the private jet, helicopter, etc., which are for the use of the Prime Minister? What about all those Ministers who still use their office, government car, etc?

Many Malays regard our First Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, as fasiq (bad Muslim) because of his drinking and gambling. But did you know that the Tunku took six months no-pay leave to campaign for the general election? He handed the government to his Deputy, Tun Abdul Razak

Hussein, to take over as Acting Prime Minister.

Whatever you might say about the Tunku, at least he was honest enough to separate his party post from his government post and he did not abuse his government post to do party work. Has any Prime Minister since then taken no-pay leave when they campaign for their party? Even the Merdeka celebration is treated as a party campaign.

And please don’t start screaming ‘that is why we need to get rid of Umno’. Many now in the opposition — not only from Umno but also from MCA, Gerakan and MIC as well — did the same thing when they were in government. They talk only now that they are with the opposition. When they were in government serupa saja.

Take the Menteris Besar from the Pakatan Rakyat states, as an example. Would these MBs take no-pay leave whenever they are campaigning for their party or would they use their post as MB to campaign for Pakatan Rakyat? Of course Umno also does this. That, I don’t deny. But do two wrongs make a right?

Tok Guru Nik Aziz Nik Mat, the MB of Kelantan, switches of the ‘government’ light when he prays (which is a personal duty and has nothing to do with the government). And how much electricity does his light bulb consume when he prays?

This is not about whether Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat is worse. This is about doing the honest thing. When you do party work the rakyat must not be made to pay for it. And when Parliament and the State Assemblies have been dissolved you are committing criminal breach of trust by continuing to use the government facilities for your personal political campaigns and party work.

Do you remember when Datuk Ramli Yussuf, the Director of the CCID, faced charges in Sabah for using a police plane to fly over his land? He was alleged to have taken a detour while on official duty to fly over his land. Just a slight detour in a government plane and he was arrested and charged.

No doubt he was eventually acquitted of that charge but the fact he could he sacked, arrested and charged for taking a ‘joyride’ in a police plane was enough to show the difference between personal and official work. What makes the Prime Minister or Ministers immune from this same ‘crime’?

Once Parliament is dissolved it should be hands-off all public property. No more using public facilities for your personal or party work and campaigns.

I do not know how better to explain this point without sounding cheong hei but understand one thing: once Parliament is dissolved you are now sacked from your job. Hence we no longer have a government and you can no longer use what belongs to the government — meaning, of course, what belongs to the rakyat.

Now, in that same spirit, since we no longer have a government, when we go to the polls we are choosing a new government. Whether we choose Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat does not matter. Both are new governments. The old government no longer exists. Everyone has been sacked from his/her job.

Okay, so we no longer have a government and we go to the polls to choose a government. Never mind that Barisan Nasional has ruled Malaysia for 55 years. That was before. For all intents and purposes, if they win the election they are going to be a new government, jut like how Pakatan Rakyat would be if they win the election.

Hence we need to ask both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat what type of new government they are going to be. We do not care what they did in the past. Don’t try to impress us with what you have been doing over the last 55 years (actually it’s 53 years because the First General Election was in 1959, not 1957). That government no longer exists. We are about to choose a new government so we want to know what type of new government we are going to choose.

Let’s look at it this way. We wipe the slate clean and start from scratch (not to include any corrupt acts, of course, which should still be on the slate). Then we are giving both a level playing field (or else Barisan Nasional can boast about what they have done over 55 years compared to Pakatan Rakyat who never ruled at federal level). Let’s assume Malaysia never had a government before. So now tell us why we should vote for you.

And that would mean we would need to look at so many unresolved issues and hear from both sides what they have to offer us. As I said, there are just so many issues but maybe for purposes of this article we can talk about some of the more pressing ones. And my list is certainly not in order of priority. And I am addressing this list to both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat.

1. Will Malaysia adopt in its entirety the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted and proclaimed by the United Nations on 10th December 1948?

2. Will Malaysia practice meritocracy to replace the system of quotas and preferential treatment and will Article 153 in the Constitution be abrogated?

3. Will fundamental liberties be respected and will it include the right to choose your religion, the right to have no religion, the right to your sexual preference, the right to a civil partnership, and much more?

4. Will Malaysia remain a Constitutional Monarchy or will it opt to become a Republic?

5. Will the oil royalty for those states that have oil and gas be increased to 20% or more or will it remain at 5%.

6. Will Sabah and Sarawak be given autonomy and will Federalisation in those states be reduced/limited in line with the 20- and 18-Point Agreements?

7. Will the Human Rights Commission, Anti-Corruption Commission, Police Force Commission, Judicial Commission, Election Commission, etc., be restructured so that the appointments can be made by Parliament and so that they can be responsible to Parliament and will include Commissioners from both sides of the political fence in equal numbers?

8. Will the Constitution be amended to make Malaysia more Secular with the removal of Islam as the religion of the Federation?

9. What is the position of the Sharia — Hudud included, of course — and which legal system will be supreme and will Malaysia remove the dual system, which appears to be running parallel, in favour of a single legal system?

10. Will the anti-hopping act, freedom of information act, freedom of association act (to include students), anti-discrimination act, anti-racism act, freedom of religion act, etc., be introduced and will the death sentence be abolished?

Those are just ten points that both sides need to tell us about. Of course there are many more and some of you may want to add to that list. The bottom line, however, is that we want to hear from all those who are going to offer themselves for election what their position about all these issues are.

We can’t accept the ‘vote first and talk later’ argument. We need to know before we go to the polls the stand of all these people who want our vote. Hence no shocks and surprises later once we choose our new government.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

BN has the mandate for granting all of the above or condensed form of the 3 items below :

;but does not act. Pakatan looks set to be worse with Hudud and Nepotism and backward crony capitalist mindsets, who knows gangsterism as well? A nice article that challenges unnecessary structures in government.

Not even a priest or an imam will ‘serve God’ if they are not being paid a salary. It’s all about money, even those who claim to be serving God. So get off your high horse and stop all this self-righteous bullshit. Every single one of you does things for money. So stop slandering this person and that person as doing things for money. You too are as much money-motivated as the other person you are accusing.

I can’t understand why Malaysia Today’s readers are foaming at the mouth and whacking Hudud. Some have even gone beyond just attacking Hudud and have even whacked Muslims and Islam. A police report has already been made against Malaysiakini. Do you also want a police report to be made against Malaysia Today?

Most of you may think that Malaysia allows freedom of expression. Well, Malaysia may allow freedom of expression up to a certain extent but that freedom is not absolute. There are limits. And that is why Malaysia has many laws that are aimed at ‘ensuring the peace and stability’ of the nation, the Sedition Act being one of them.

This means you cannot simply say what you like, not even in America or Britain. For example, if you start talking about Muslim terrorists, Jihad and bombs while in a plane you can get into trouble anywhere in the world. You might argue that it is your fundamental right to talk about whatever it is you want to talk about. The police, however, will not agree with you as they drag you away in handcuffs. Try it if you don’t believe me.

So perish the thought regarding absolute freedom of expression. It does not exist. There are boundaries and you must navigate within these boundaries. I, for one, can tell you that this is absolutely true. I, too, have learned that you cannot say everything that is on your mind. There are some things you can say and there are many things you cannot say. And if you violate this rule you will get vilified like hell. I am speaking from experience here.

Look at what happened to Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim. His party expressed support for the Bersih 3.0 rally while he said that although he is for clean elections he does not feel that breaking the law is the way to send the message to the government. And for saying that he was whacked kaw-kaw until he felt so hurt he left the party. I suppose anyone who is called foul names would feel the way he felt. I mean people do have feelings, even Pakatan Rakyat leaders.

In the first place, Tunku Aziz should not have joined a political party. He is not a politician, period. And he should have realised that once you join a political party you must toe the party line. You cannot do what the people would view as breaking ranks. They will kill you, figure of speech, of course. And once you join a political party and then resign, you will be accused of being bought off, of selling out, and all sort of foul things. It is better you had not joined in the first place. Then you can say what you like.

Once you join a political party you need to sacrifice certain freedoms for the sake of party unity. Even when you talk in closed-door meetings or unofficial meetings you need to watch what you say. In politics everyone is an enemy, even the person sitting next to you in the meeting. And what you say will be leaked to embarrass you. And the Penang PKR chief, Datuk Dr Mansor Othman, has found out the hard way what damage these leaks can do.

Of course, Dr Mansor has denied saying what he is alleged to have said. The minutes, though, appear to prove otherwise. But minutes can be forged. After all, only those who attended the meeting would know.

No doubt, none of the others who attended that meeting have come forward to reveal that they had attended the meeting and that the minutes had been forged and that no such thing was ever said in the meeting. Nevertheless, whether the people believe that denial is another thing. After all, politicians deny allegations all the time. Clinton denied. Nixon denied. And in the end it was proven that these denials were all lies. In fact, Najib Tun Razak has also denied the allegations against him but we all don’t believe his denials — am I not correct?

The golden rule in politics is when cornered deny or say ‘no comment’. Of course, most people are of the opinion that when politicians deny it then it must be true and when they say ‘no comment’ that means they are admitting the allegation. But the most important thing is no one can prove it.

And this is what matters in the end. Can you prove the allegation?

What you need to do, before they even deny it or say ‘no comment’, is to challenge them to prove that the allegation is false. Under normal circumstances one is assumed innocent until proven guilty. But if you want to corner a politician you twist it the other way. You ask them to prove that the allegation is false. That is actually quite impossible to do.

Anwar was convicted and sentenced to a total of 15 years jail because he could not prove his innocence. The Federal Court later overturned that conviction on grounds that the Prosecution failed to prove his guilt. Nevertheless, Anwar had already served six years of the 15 years before he saw freedom. Thus, sometimes, the guilty until proven innocent rule does work in certain cases.

New laws are being introduced in Malaysia where you will need to prove you are innocent or else you are presumed guilty. We had 52 years of the Internal Security Act where an estimated 10,000 people had been detained without trial on that same assumption — guilty until proven innocent. They detain you first and then later you need to convince them that you deserve to be released. It is impossible to prove you deserve to be released when your detention is on the basis that one man, the Minister, believes you are a threat to national security.

I mean how do you prove a belief wrong? You have a belief, and that belief is I am a threat to national security. How do I prove this belief wrong? How do I prove any of your beliefs wrong? You believe that Hudud is God’s law and is mandatory. You believe that the Qur’an came directly from God and is God’s word. You believe the Bible is the Holy Book of God (in fact, you swear an oath on the Bible although it may have been printed by a printer in Jalan Chan Sow Lin). You believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God and was crucified and died for our sins. How do I prove all these beliefs wrong?

So, I can’t prove any of your beliefs wrong, even the belief that I am a threat to national security. And that means I will remain under detention without trial until your beliefs change and you now believe that I have reformed and have turned over a new leaf and am no longer a threat to national security.

Such are beliefs. And beliefs are impossible to prove wrong. If you had to prove your belief right, that would be another thing altogether. To prove your belief right you will need evidence, which you may or may not have. But for me to prove your belief wrong is a non-starter never mind what that belief may be. Beliefs do not require evidence. Hence you can believe something even if there is no evidence. And for me to prove your belief wrong when your belief is void of evidence would mean I would not have the evidence to prove your belief wrong.

Can you see how it works?

Many friends have been in touch with me to ask me to clear the air on what people are saying about me. These friends tell me that people believe I am this or I am that or I have done this or I have done that. But that is just it. This is what people believe. How do I prove this belief to be false?

Most of those people who believe these things about me also believe in God and believe in a religion. Is there any basis for these beliefs? Is there any evidence to support these beliefs? Can they prove that their beliefs are facts and not myths?

Of course they can’t. They just believe it, that’s all. There is no basis for these beliefs. They heard stories and they believe these stories. These are all stories without evidence. Then they support these stories and justify their beliefs by showing us a Holy Book, which they said came from God but was printed by a printer in Jalan Chan Sow Lin who himself does not believe in God and is printing this ‘Holy Book’ just to make money from the printing contract

Thus this is the mindset of these types of people. They are susceptible to believing things that cannot be proven. And these same people also believe certain things about me. So how do we talk to such people when they are already prone to believing things that they imagine to be true even when it cannot be proven true?

Can you see the futility in trying to turn these people? It is as difficult as trying to convince a Catholic that Prophet Muhammad is a Prophet of God or trying to convince Muslims that Jesus is the Son of God — or trying to convince readers of Malaysia Today that Hudud is God’s command and is mandatory for all Malaysians.

The best would be to just let people believe what they want to believe. Most of these people believe that they are sincere and noble while all the rest are scumbags anyway. Only they are true. All others are false.

Look at the party hopping issue as one example. Most believe that it is wrong for people to leave their party to join the other side. But it is not wrong for those from the other side to leave the other side to join their party.

If they leave the other side to join their side then it is a sincere and noble gesture. But if they leave their side to join the other side it cannot also be because of a sincere and noble gesture. It can only be because of money and for no other reason.

This is the belief.

You do things out of sincerity and for noble reasons. Others are not noble or sincere and do things merely for money. You do not do things for money.

As I said, this is the belief and they believe that their belief is right. But is it?

Their parents sent them to school to receive an education. I have Chinese friends who tell me that education is at the top of the Chinese priority list. Education comes first and everything else comes after. This is what my Chinese friends tell me and since so many seem to tell me the same thing I am inclined to believe it.

Then I ask them, why? To the Malays, religion comes first. That is way at the top of the priority list of the Malays. Go ask the Malays and see what they say. But why do Chinese put education and not religion at the top of their priority list?

And they tell me it is because you need a good education to be ensured a good future. Only a good education can ensure a good future. And many Malaysians, after they have received that good education, choose to stay overseas to work. They have spent so much money on their education that they need to work overseas because the salary they will earn back in Malaysia would be too low and they will never be able to recover the cost of their education.

So people get an education. But they go and get an education not because they seek knowledge. They go and get an education so that they can get a good job that pays good money.

Everybody works. And they all work because they want money. Only with money can they buy things and live a good life. They want a house. They want a car. They want to get married. They want power, position, prestige, recognition, and whatnot. And all this requires money.

Why do they want all these? Are these not all for selfish reasons? You can go live in a jungle and not starve. There is food everywhere. You can live off the land. You can build a roof over your head from what you find in the jungle. You can use the streams and rivers to wash and bathe. You do not need money. You do not need a job. You do not need to spend so much money getting educated.

So, yes, everyone does things for money, even those of you who believe you are sincere and noble. Do you need money? Actually you do not. You don’t need money. You just want money. And you want money because you want the good things in life.

Are you prepared to resign from your job and go work in one of the African countries for no salary? They will provide you a tent to sleep in and three meals a day. They will also provide you with khaki uniforms. But other than that you will receive no money.

Is that not a noble and sincere thing to do? You work for no money but only to serve humankind. You get to eat and sleep in a tent, that’s all.

Not even a priest or an imam will ‘serve God’ if they are not being paid a salary. It’s all about money, even those who claim to be serving God. So get off your high horse and stop all this self-righteous bullshit. Every single one of you does things for money. So stop slandering this person and that person as doing things for money. You too are as much money-motivated as the other person you are accusing.

At least a prostitute is honest about what he or she is. That is more than I can say for you.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

1) Most of you may think that Malaysia allows freedom of expression. Well, Malaysia may allow freedom of expression up to a certain extent but that freedom is not absolute. There are limits. And that is why Malaysia has many laws that are aimed at ‘ensuring the peace and stability’ of the nation,

the Sedition Act being one of them. This means you cannot simply say what you like, not even in America or Britain. For example, if you start talking about Muslim terrorists, Jihad and bombs while in a plane you can get into trouble anywhere in the world. You might argue that it is your fundamental right to talk about whatever it is you want to talk about. The police, however, will not agree with you as they drag you away in handcuffs.

Then attempts will be made to change the law so that the police will focus on real criminals like corrupted politicians or those who sequester the funds of the nation by writing Vehicular-AP type laws so their daughters and son-in-laws can lounge around writing pro-1% rubbish instead of changing bad laws. The police, however, will agree to fair mindedness instead of chilling effect bad wishes on people via bad or racist laws, who at least bother to engage the country/public in effecting meaningful change. No word on apartheid yet? Still defending hudud? Why does RPK seem to support chilling effect laws?

2) It’s all about money, even those who claim to be serving God. So get off your high horse and stop all this self-righteous bullshit. Every single one of you does things for money. So stop slandering this person and that person as doing things for money. You too are as much money-motivated as the other person you are accusing.

Those who claim to be serving God would think that everyone is EQUAL and that the wealth of the nation and the land belongs to everyone. That means space for living, as well as oil wealth etc.. This is what makes a nation a nation, not 1% of people holding 99% of the wealth while 99% of the people have to work. “God’ provided the land that grows food and has materials for life and civilisation. There is no such thing as money which is man made and a mere tool or yardstick for reprsentation of goods and services.

3) The golden rule in politics is when cornered deny or say ‘no comment’. Of course, most people are of the opinion that when politicians deny it then it must be true and when they say ‘no comment’ that means they are admitting the allegation. But the most important thing is no one can prove it.

And this is what matters in the end.

When a 99% person’s life looks set to be an endless and hopeless rehash of days till old age, ‘no comment’ is not an option. And this is what matters in the end. The 99% will vote for political power distribution via term limits and nepotism prohibitions, then also wealth and land distribution. The plutocrats and oligarchs and nepotists can GTFO of Parlaiment.

4) Such are beliefs. And beliefs are impossible to prove wrong. If you had to prove your belief right, that would be another thing altogether. To prove your belief right you will need evidence, which you may or may not have. But for me to prove your belief wrong is a non-starter never mind what that belief may be. Beliefs do not require evidence. Hence you can believe something even if there is no evidence. And for me to prove your belief wrong when your belief is void of evidence would mean I would not have the evidence to prove your belief wrong. Can you see how it works?

Muslim thought mode imprinting. Manipulative inculpation of ‘thought/sentence’ structures/pattersn is not engaging the readers but insulting the readers. If I am wrong about this being a Muslim NLP, then apologies in advance when I go ‘Blah, Muslims . . .’ . . . NO, all non-Muslims refuse to see how ‘it’ (Islam by my reading of what RPK is pushing with ingenuous references to it, it might as well be the whore of Babylon or Moloch or every non-Muslim’s collective !@#$%^& . . . )

5) Can you see the futility in trying to turn these people? It is as difficult as trying to convince a Catholic that Prophet Muhammad is a Prophet of God or trying to convince Muslims that Jesus is the Son of God — or trying to convince readers of Malaysia Today that Hudud is God’s command and is mandatory for all Malaysians.

There is even less proof of God yet people believe. Futility to ‘turn these people’ is far easier than to believe in God. Also laws are man-made, wealth distribution is biased. The 99% would believe that and the 1% as RPK and by extension RPK’s wife Marin or Mahathir’s ill-gotten billions would prefer th 99% to not think about.

6) Everybody works. And they all work because they want money. Only with money can they buy things and live a good life. They want a house. They want a car. They want to get married. They want power, position, prestige, recognition, and whatnot. And all this requires money.

This is a materialistic view. There are many views. Also there are systems that do not require money.n The Capitalist system is abusive and enslaves people with money. Figure out the rest on how to vote to change the system to do away with money.

7) If they leave the other side to join their side then it is a sincere and noble gesture. But if they leave their side to join the other side it cannot also be because of a sincere and noble gesture. It can only be because of money and for no other reason. This is the belief.

Shame on RPK for preaching corruption. Kaffir mindedness if anything and tainted by promotion of hudud’s violence based justice.

8) Are you prepared to resign from your job and go work in one of the African countries for no salary? They will provide you a tent to sleep in and three meals a day. They will also provide you with khaki uniforms. But other than that you will receive no money.

Any and everone would if land and wealth were distributed equally. In fact there would be no ‘African countries’ either if migration prohibitions were done away with up to limits of population supportable by a country at least.

9) At least a prostitute is honest about what he or she is. That is more than I can say for you.

One man’s ‘honesty’ is another man’s resignation and apathy, giving up on a better life. That is what a prostitute does, which is more than I can say for RPK’s inactivity and b.s.ing from England instead of returning to Malaysia to prove so called ‘enemies’ wrong.

Fostering apathy via weak logic so that plutocrats and nepotists or propagandists get to abuse and parasite off the 99% is pitiful and reprehensible. Belief with logic is and expecting to be questioned and responding always makes right. As mentioned before, some people use their intelligence for good causes, others use their intelligence to suppress the truth and every man’s right to equality instead of entitlement. Being around for decades within privilege allows one to never feel empathy for the problems people face. The 99% however are ready to vote in a manner that will end such socialised insanity. Money is an invention. The sooner everyone realises this, the better a place the world will be. Also the sooner Marina and RPK endorse the below 3 items :

;the sooner will the Malaysians have a real chance of reclaiming their place as equals with other races in the world instead of hiding behind corrutpting tacit approvals by Marina or pernicious articles by RPK.

…
written by Dr Syed Alwi, September 02, 2012 14:20:43
Dear RPK,

It doesn’t matter whether its BN or PR – the mentality of the average Malaysian is very backwards. It will be another 50 years before you can see the kind of changes that you want. You’ve got a vast majority of Malays still believing in magic etc ! You’ve got the Chinese who are still pushing for parochial interests ! To change Malaysia – is to change minds. You need a mental revolution. Malaysia is Third World in terms of mentality. Still medieval and still feudal. Its still 1511 as far as Malaysians go !

If you are serious about these changes – then you should focus on Education. The educational system must change to produce better minds in the future. No major changes can be expected in the short term. Just focus on education and in 20 to 30 years time – it will bear fruit. But for now – you won’t see much changes.

Regards
Dr Syed Alwi

ARTICLE 9

Merdeka belongs to ALL M’sians, not just to BN or to Pakatan – by Lim Kit Siang – Thursday, 30 August 2012 22:03

Merdeka Day should be an overarching national celebration uniting Malaysians regardless of race, religion, region or political affiliation in a common purpose to develop a more democratic, just, competitive and prosperous nation – and any partisan attempt to hijack the Merdeka Day which can only result in greater division, dissension and disunity must be deplore

It is sad many Malaysians feel depressed by this year’s 55th Merdeka Day not only because they have never felt so unsafe in public places and the privacy of their homes, but also because of the increasingly negative and discordant voices sowing distrust and hatred in our plural society and seeking to polarise and divide Malaysians particularly along race and religious lines.

For ALL Malaysians

Merdeka Day is a national celebration not just for any individual, group, community or political party. It is not for Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat. It is for all Malaysians.

Let all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region or political affiliation rise above their differences to celebrate the 55th Merdeka Day as one Malaysian people to forge a common national destiny where freedom, justice, integrity and good governance flourish in our land and enjoyed by all our citizens.

Voters, don’t depend on Pakatan so much. Pakatan has said nothing about ending the Bumi/Non-Bumi difference, or PAS’s Hudud so far. Look at the lack of engagement hiding behind the ethos of that MP’s seat intent on being term limitless. Voters, if Pakatan will in such a belittling manner, not respond fairly and clearly to questions as blogs like these pose, Pakatan will indeed favour and collude with cronies in the same way BN has. Pakatan is UNVOTABLE simply by the uncommunicativeness and even attempts to destroy would be competing 3rd force politicians, groups and activists by.

The voters are no fools and can see what has happened. Pakatan is a danger and perhaps even part of the hegelian dialect, at least in all term limitless family nepotistic types. Again I present the unvotable within Pakatan so that the Rakyat can think clearly enough to vote correctly :

OFFENDING TERM LIMITLESS/NEPOTISM CLIQUES in PAKATAN

Three of the below limitless term MPs must be challenged so that only a single candidate without relatives remains :

Also either Ngeh (Pantai Remis) or Nga (Sitiawan) must go to prevent 2nd degree nepotism and the kind of environment that caused DAP’s Kulasegaran to be kicked out possibly an act of racism but more likely at the order of the Lim family clique and their dogs like Chow Kon Yeow and Ng Wei Aik.

For even stronger consideration, I also list seats that HRP demands from the unethical Pakatan cliques, note that PAS is the least problematic party in Pakatan though more authoritarian and Islamically inclined (Hudud should be applied on a signatory by signatory basis, not summarily imposed, to not drive away Malay voters) :

HRP might very well be aware of some things we are not aware of to list some surprising choices as well, do not discount their reasons.

ANOTHER THEORY ON WHY VOTE 3rd Force Over Pakatan or BN

Introducing all readers to the high tech world of hidden surveillance and mind altering electronics like Passive Millimeter Wave Technology or EMF based wave weapons. Half of the wealthiest and most influencial non-Muslims in Malaysia could get thrown into jail for if that law is passed. Afraid if the government makes owning such things illegal?

ALL READERS. Rais Yaatim was manipulated into raping the maid via sub-aurals and EMF and possibly certain drugs that made him unable to control himself the combination is very effective on most people unless they have the luxury of becoming extremely anti-social to compensate.

Also like Anwar and Saiful, the 2 guys were probably drugged and manipulated with the same method. Do you think dr.Evil had no hand in causing the cases to be used as a weapon to ensure their obedience?

Neuro-linguistic programming also could have played a strong part in grooming targets with dr.Evil’s resources, he could get any number of people to ‘say things’ to manipulate Anwar, Saiful’s or Rais Yaatim’s mental state, then drug them. The combination is quite lethal.

A law against use or ownership of such electronic weapons should be immediately put in place and all who are in ownership of such devices should immediately be investigated and any complaints or evidence corroborated by the legal system which should be made aware of these obviously criminal methods and weapons. Watch out for the Wiifi, 4G or 700 Hz YTL lines. These and the telecoms towers will ensure whatever government will be able to manipulate voters as well INCLUDING extracting/inserting thought memories.

In time these weapons or stalking activities will be illegal and the legal system updated on these weapons, and anyone who has used these will likely be dragged up on charges for victimising citizens with criminal intent to harm. They should watch out for YTL’s 4G or the Telecoms Towers as well, Nautilus Bay Penang looks like a G.W.E.N. Tower too.

4G or 700 Hz will literally end all freedom of thought, so start understanding that we are living in high tech times even though the infrastructure is still quite bad. In the hands of private contractors like YTL we will literally lose control of free thought. Oppose any 700 Hz, 3G or telecoms towers, otherwise we will be quite finished even before GE13.

Anwar and Saiful, Prince Saud Abdulaziz Bin Nasir Al Saud of Oman, the Catholic Priests overcome with lust for children, I strongly believe that due to your strong religious and family upbringing and even some of us due to our station, political beliefs and political alignments, or threat of presenting too powerful a social or psychological, even psychic competition, or even intelligence, or even failed relationships with people having access to such devices – have been groomed into paedophilia, LGBT or even simulated mental illness specifically to weaken our voice by society’s worst who see nothing except political power and wealth not a nation of citizens.

PETALING JAYA: The usual road safety tips apply along the North-South Expressway buckle up and obey the speed limit. Then watch out … for cows?

Signs urging motorists and other road users to be wary of cows have sprouted up at 29 locations along the expressway as recently as three weeks ago, according to highway concessionaire PLUS Malaysia.

“There has been an increasing number of animal sightings along the expressway and we want to warn people to be wary of cows and other strays, especially at certain locations,” corporate communications senior manager Mohd Nizam Ismail said yesterday.

“Most of the strays sighted are cows, water buffalos, tapirs and wild boars. But other animals such as dogs, monkeys and goats have also been seen.”

A woman and her son were killed early on Sunday when their car collided with a cow near the Simpang Ampat toll plaza in Malacca.

Ngatinah Kemin, 47, and her 10-year-old son Habib Firdaus were travelling back from the KL International Airport to their home in Simpang Renggam together with her husband and daughter when the accident occurred at 1.20am.

The Road Transport Department said that such incidences were rare and that it was not usual for cows to cross a highway.

“In the rural areas, yes, it happens a lot. But this is the first case that I’ve heard of in my two years in the Transport Ministry,” said deputy director-general Datuk Ismail Ahmad.

A cow died on the spot after being hit by a car at Persiaran Utara in Putrajaya while crossing the road. The driver was unhurt.

The driver was unhurt.

He explained that a road retained heat at night making it warm and “nice” for cows to lie on.

In July 2008, three people were killed in two separate accidents on the same 772km-long expressway within days of each other in Rembau and Jitra after crashing into cows.

Pahang Umno secretary Datuk Abdullah Rahmat died when his car hit a cow in Temerloh on the East Coast Highway on Dec 12, 2008.

PLUS urged members of the public to call its hotline 1800 88 0000 whenever they see stray animals on the expressway.

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PAP’s Neuroscience Institute at Biopolis has been busy equipping Pakatan? Neurotech assassination? Get a cow to saunter onto the road at an inopportune moment to kill political opponents. Earlier that was neurotech dogs savaging and killing people, but too dramatic and suspicious.

ARTICLE 10

Man gored to death by wild buffalo – September 01, 2012

IPOH, Sept 1 — A man was gored to death while his friend was injured after they were attacked by a wild buffalo while on a fishing trip at the Royal Belum Forest Reserve in Hulu Air Pasir, Banding near Grik yesterday.

Musa Ismail, 56, died after he was gored in the stomach while his friend Isa Abdullah, 24, broke a leg and hand. Two other friends of theirs, however, escaped injury.

Grik police chief Supt Abdul Manab Baharum said in the incident happened between 3pm and 6pm when the four entered the forest reserve via a trail at Km68.4 of the East Coast Highway.

“As they were walking towards the location to set up their fish traps they were attacked by a wild buffalo which appeared out of nowhere,” he told Bernama.

He said after the animal ran away after attacking them, one of the friends who was not injured used his handphone to call up other friends for help.

He said they (friends) alerted the police who immediately mobilised a search-and-rescue team which included members of the Fire and Rescue Department, Rela, Civil Defence Department and local villagers.

“Because of the mountainous terrain, the team only managed to reach them at 1am. We also had difficulty bringing them out and only managed to do so at 6.30am today.

“The dead and injured victims were sent to the Grik Hospital,” he said.

Abdul Manab advised the public not to enter the reserve to fish or gather herbs without a valid permit from the authorities for their own safety. — Bernama

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Looks like this method of assassination will be the newest method employed in Malaysia. ‘ . . . beware of strays . . . ‘ goes Regina . . . so does that mean dogs and cats will also be used to kill car driving people in the same way? A neurotech dog or cat rushes out across the road, a ‘caring’ driver dies avoiding the animal . . . or at least get injured if said driver hits the animal and crashes . . .

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 1 — Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar today took a swipe at Pakatan Rakyat (PR), saying the opposition bloc has started to lose its direction in wanting to replace the national flag, the Jalur Gemilang.

The Selangor Barisan Nasional (BN) deputy chairman also said it was impossible to do so as the flag is enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

“They have started to lose direction… until they even want to change the flag. I want to remind them that we cannot change matters enshrined in our Constitution such as the flag; whoever rules it is still our symbol. And the national anthem ‘Negaraku’, it is the song of whoever is in power.

“They are not yet ruling (but) already want to do extraordinary things,” Noh (picture) told reporters at the Selangor BN open house at the Rubber Research Institute of Malaysia (RRIM) in Sungai Buloh here.

The Tanjung Karang MP also expressed sorrow at the way PR celebrated National Day.

“I feel very sad at the attitude and the way they celebrate Merdeka Day, we should raise flags, but they make other flags,” he said, in apparent reference to a group of individuals who were spotted waving flags sporting alternative designs to the Jalur Gemilang during the massive public countdown to the country’s 55th National Day in Kuala Lumpur last Thursday.

“They are rude, not yet in power but they are already power crazy, their supporters and followers don’t respect our rules.”

The individuals were spotted carrying flags sporting the familiar crescent moon and 14-pointed star against a red-and-white striped background — similar to the national flags of neighbouring Singapore and Indonesia — which were alleged to be the alternative to the Jalur Gemilang.

Some of the street party-goers were also reported to have stepped on or tore posters bearing the images of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, his wife and the Election Commission chairman that night.

However, the organisers of the Janji Demokrasi rally — which took place at the same venue at Dataran Merdeka — has distanced themselves from the individuals who had allegedly demanded the national flag be replaced.

Noh also commented on Selangor PR ignoring the Sultan of Selangor in its National Day celebrations, saying that it shows that the federal opposition bloc did not uphold the Rukun Negara principle of “Loyalty to King and country”.

“Before BN carried out today’s programme, the organiser informed the Sultan of Selangor that the prime minister will come to celebrate with the people.

“Not like the opposition, their state-level Merdeka Day celebrations ignored the Sultan and turned this celebration into a political arena,” Noh said, adding “we practise the Rukun Negara principle of loyalty to King and country.”

Noh said: “In this life there are two things, morals and laws. Morally, they have to respect our culture, other people’s functions, but they try to take advantage to carry out politicking activities including in the programme on Merdeka Day eve”.

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Better than BN’s WRONG DIRECTION – continuing apartheid is wrong. Pakatan is still excusable for not having 2/3rds to end apartheid. We’ll know 100% for certain if Pakatan wins and does not end apartheid or 3rd Force takes over.

MCA meanwhile should leave BN with, PPP, MIC and Gerakan to form a viable 3rd Force with Tunku Aziz as head of 3rd force on the below 3 items as a rallying factor :

Today’s confirmation by the Office of the Attorney General in Switzerland that it has opened a criminal prosecution against the banking group UBS, over suspected money-laundering on behalf of Musa Aman, looks set to cause an awkward diplomatic upset for the UK.

After all, the royal couple Wills and Kate are right now packing their bags to give Musa a friendly visit!

Sarawak Report first exposed back in May the evidence that the Sabah Chief Minister has taken tens of millions of dollars in kickbacks for issuing licences to chop down what remains of Sabah’s rain forests.

And we have laid out damning details of the money laundering operation conducted by the Musa and his associates through UBS accounts in a number of articles.

Details of bank statements and of the official investigations by the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission and also the Hong Kong authorities into the affair were made public in our series of exposes and the evidence was sent to Switzerland, where the Bruno Manser Fund requested the prosecution against UBS.

Yet, despite this mounting evidence, UK officials have refused to heed warnings against the planned visit to the state by the British heir to the throne and his new wife.

The visit is due to take place between September 11-19th, as part of a Royal Tour of the Commonwealth in celebration of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, marking her 60th year on the throne. They will also be visiting Singapore and the Solomon Islands.

Photo-opportunity?

Great publicity – but could it now all backfire?

To begin with the choice of Sabah might have seemed perfect publicity for the environment conscious Royal Family. After all the trip is being promoted as an “exotic visit to the Borneo Jungle”.

Just in the past few hours the British press has printed exciting details of plans to feature the Prince and his wife looking daring in lush forest canopies and cuddling up to cute baby orang-utans.

Given Musa’s energetic ‘greenwash’ PR of recent months, the objective has been to praise Musa for ‘slowing’ Sabah’s rate of deforestation, according to UK officials. They are accepting claims that he now wants to protect what is left of the jungle.

However, for months Sarawak Report has been warning the Royal Palace and the British Foreign Office against becoming associated with Musa Aman’s new campaign to present Sabah as an eco-friendly state, when in fact the Danum Valley Reserve which they will be visiting is a small oasis in one of the world’s worst environmental disaster zones and the Chief Minister is still selling concessions for kickbacks throughout the state.

Sarawak Report has also warned that proof of Musa Aman’s timber corruption is now in the public domain, showing how the destruction of Sabah’s jungle since the early 1990s has largely been driven by his own greed, first as the Head of Yayasan Sabah (The Sabah Foundation which is the trustee of its national forests) and then as the Chief Minister.

There is evidence that over US$90million dollars have been money-laundered through accounts associated with Aman and his key conspirators, a family friend Michael Chia and the Sabah lawyer Richard Christopher Barnes.

For these reasons Sarawak Report has repeatedly pleaded against the Royal Couple being encouraged to endorse a man whose criminality has ruined the jungle that they say they want to see protected!

This is a photo-opportunity that could go badly wrong.

Why endorse a suspected criminal?

Musa and his forest Chief Sam Manan altered the contour maps to allow logging of these once protected steep mountain areas of the state

Despite warnings from Sarawak Report just last week that Switzerland was about to launch its criminal prosecution over Musa’s money, the British High Commission is allowing this visit to proceed!

This opens the Royal Couple to charges of complete hypocrisy. They will of course be staying in pure luxury in the jungle resort in Danum Valley (a project sponsored by the world’s largest palm oil company, Malaysia’s government-controlled Sime Darby), while all around them millions of hectares of oil palm plantations are still being rolled out by their corrupted hosts.

The questionable judgement of such a visit is made even more severe by its timing, just as Malaysia approaches a crucial election.

What business has Britain to give such an endorsement to a notoriously corrupted and autocratic government, which has remained in power for longer than almost any other in the world?

After 50 years, who can still argue that BN has not cheated or bribed its way to its various ‘election successes’? Furthermore, evidence shows that more money is being stolen from the public in Malaysia and secreted out to foreign bank accounts, like Musa’s, than in practically any other country in the world.

Yet, it seems the royal advisors on this tour are preferring to present a lie rather than cancel the trip or upset their corrupted host, the Chief Minister of Sabah. They would rather the Royal Couple shake the hand through which a hundred million dollars of timber corruption money has passed than take a stand against the forces of corruption that are destroying Borneo!

Eco-friendly? Musa has just signed over 1/3 of Sabah’s forest reserve to ‘mosaic plantations’. He is selling off the licences in return for kickbacks. Most of that money has been stolen from the poor people of the Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak, whose natural resources have been filched by their politicians, while they have been left in the deepest poverty.

At a time when Malaysia is at last waking up to these shocking truths and when the opposition parties are defying persecution and abuses against them to present for the first time some kind of real challenge to BN’s forces of oppression, is it right for Britain to prop them up with such a high profile visit by its as yet untainted young royal couple?

The cries in Malaysia and even in Musa’s own BN party in Sabah are now becoming deafening for his removal and his position is more precarious than ever.

How he will thank William and Kate, for stretching out their hands and offering him just the lifeline he needed with this visit and their silly praises for his greenwash PR about the ‘eco-friendly’ policies of Sabah.

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William and Kate are not new in the world conquest ‘game’, but England is now a viper’s nest of Orwellian and self serving liars. If East Malaysia demands independence for the lack of :

;England will want to ‘recolonise’ again ahead of all other local powers. So here come William and Kate are here to prepare to cash in or even prep these UMNO-BN guys (who despite all the unfairness of policy, will never hear a word for the Rakyat, justifying their bad behaviour, disenfranchisement, ill written and greed intent based policies . . . ) if not consolidate the Commonwealth while entirely overlooking the Apartheid system of unequal citizenships. This is one of those times where being proven wrong is good, but knowing the platitudes likely to overshadow the entire meeting, no word would likely pass on granting the above. Such is the cynical nature of the 1/4 German ancestry supposed future heads of the Commonwealth. If Commonwealth is so ‘common’ why is England and an SCG ALWAYS the Head? Do other Royals not deserve to head the Commonwealth?

ARTICLE 14

People’s happiness important, says Najib – September 03, 2012

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 3 — Per capita income and the people’s well-being are the two main criteria used to measure the success of a country’s development model, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

He said that while per capita income was the conventional yardstick used elsewhere, Malaysia put forward a one-of-a-kind and unique development model which took into account the “happiness index of the people”.

Both these aspects had to be scrutinised as the correlation between the two may not necessarily be positive, because there may be other factors or constraints which could cause dissatisfaction despite an increase in income, Najib (picture) said.

He cited factors such as traffic congestion and crime as examples, saying the two were definitely taken into account in determining the well-being or satisfaction index of the people.

“We try to formulate a one-of-a-kind and unique development model for this country. We do not copy 100 per cent from the west or east, but must have the ability to come up with our own model suitable for the people,” he said during the monthly gathering of the Prime Minister’s Department here today.

From a macro indicator, this year the second quarter of the economy grew by 5.4 per cent compared to 4.9 per cent during the first quarter, and Malaysia emerged as the third biggest initial public offering (IPO) centre after the United States and China, said the prime minister.

Malaysian companies FELDA Global Ventures Holdings and IHH Healthcare ranked the second and third largest IPOs on a global scale, he added.

Najib noted that the international media had also been covering Malaysia in a more positive light, with those who were previously critical appearing to be changing their tone and admitting that there were many positive changes and real development taking place in the country.

“I mention this because we have actually gained world recognition. But what’s the message here? The message is we must maintain the momentum and not let the transformation agenda lose steam; we must redouble our efforts,” he said.

Najib said civil servants played a very important role in implementing strategies to ensure the government’s development agenda was carried out as scheduled, was felt by the people, achieved its objectives and reached the targeted groups. — Bernama

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Apartheid, extreme religion, very bad wealth distribution, nepotism and oligarchy all make the people unhappy. BN represents all of this, Pakatan some. Political coalitions in Malaysia hence make the people unhappy until all of these problems are corrected. Vote 3rd Force political parties or indie candidates!

Penang BN Chairman Teng Chang Yeow must explain why 2 UMNO leaders who claim to defend the rights of the Malays chose to profit as land brokers but refused to share their RM 5 million profits, earned within a mere three and a half months, with the 31 Malay landowners.

Today, Teng has chosen to defend both Umno Penang deputy chairman Dato Musa Sheikh Fadzir and BN Penang general election strategy director Dato Omar Faudza for profiting RM 5 million from sale of land owned by 31 Malay landonwers in Kampung Terang, Balik Pulau, as a private business transaction.

Teng clearly forgets that as political leaders, public interest demands that the private business transactions of these 2 UMNO leaders must also conform with their public political positions. Is this how UMNO leaders defend the rights of Malay landowners by buying their land cheap and then selling it high, pocketing 100% the profits from the sale? I regret that Musa has refused to explain why he refused to share the RM 5 million profit with the 31 Malay landowners and instead behaved emotionally and irrationally by attacking me as a racist for bringing up this issue of public interest.

Racist to share RM5mil profits with the 31 Malay landowners?

How am I a racist when I asked Musa and Omar to share the RM5 million profits with the 31 Malay landowners and not with non-Malays? Clearly BN and UMNO are so bankrupt of political ideas that a racist party is calling a multi-racial party racist!

Teng’s irresponsible refusal to explain is similar to dishonest tactics of spreading lies after lies without proof against PR leaders. Beginning with falsifying Google photographs of hillslope projects to run down the PR state government, Teng has still not shown evidence that myself, 4 EXCO members Chow Kon Yeow, Phee Boon Poh, Wong Hon Wai and Danny Law together with ADUN Komtar Ng Wei Aik has a personal interest in the Taman Manggis private hospital project.

Suddenly, new conditions emerge

Now Teng tries to explain BN’s failure to fulfill their promise to buy the Taman Manggis 1.1 acre piece of land at RM450 per square feet to build Projek Perumahan Rakyat(PPR) by saying that the state government has not written officially to BN. This is a new condition which was never mentioned earlier by BN.

To ensure that Teng does not try to run away again from making unsubstantiated allegations and promises, I have directed my Political Secretary Ng Wei Aik to write an official letter to be handed over to Teng’s office that BN can buy over the land at RM450 per square feet to build PPR.

Profits from proceeds from the sale to BN will be used to fund the building of affordable housing by the state government in the island, especially in Jalan S.P. Chelliah.

The question is will BN come up with the over RM22 million before the next general elections to buy the land to build PPR or this is another sandiwara to get cheap publicity?

Lim Guan Eng is the DAP sec-gen & Penang Chief Minister

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Guan Eng has no right to demand anything of Gerakan.

‘Penang BN Chairman Teng Chang Yeow must explain why 2 UMNO leaders who claim to defend the rights of the Malays chose to profit as land brokers but refused to share their RM 5 million profits, earned within a mere three and a half months, with the 31 Malay landowners.’ . . .

;is something for the Chambers of Commerce or a commerce or law based NGO to take up on. Guan Eng being CM should address apartheid instead much less ask for 750K funeral funds. Always sets sights so low and mostly on commercial interests, but not human rights and equality interests. Guan Eng is a mere greedy wannabe CEO type, who only sees the money issue but never the quality of life (i.e. NO APARTHEID) issues, is argumentative and keeps demanding apologies of all supposed opponents instead of fighting for the rights of the Rakyat. Not CM material at all. Does shame to the CM’s post and is no leader of the oppressed dhimmified Chinese community who still suffers from lack of :

1.5 terms as CM used up and 90% of campaign promises still unkept, (i.e. MP assets undeclared, Local Council Elections still not implemented formally or otherwise . . . and not a word on apartheid) let 3rd force take over fool. PSM how about taking over from this product of nepotism?

The foreign ministry said in a statement here that Najib would be accompanied by wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, several Cabinet ministers and senior government officials.

The annual summit, themed ‘Integrate to Grow, Innovate to Prosper’, to be attended by heads of state and government from the 21-member economies, will be preceded by the 24th Apec Ministerial Meeting (AMM) on Sept 5 and 6, and Apec Senior Officials Meeting on Sept 2 and 3.

The prime minister will also explore new and innovative ideas to further enhance cooperation among the 21 Apec member economies in these areas.

Najib is also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with several Apec leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The outcome of the leaders’ meeting will be documented in a Joint Leaders’ Declaration while the 20th AMM outcome will be documented in the Joint Ministerial Statement.

Apec, a forum set up in 1989, for 21 Pacific Rim member economies to discuss issues on regional economic cooperation, trade and investment, accounts for 55 per cent of the world’s gross domestic product and 49 per cent of global trade.

Najib is also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with several Apec leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.

President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin should note that if a Russian migrated to Malaysia, the APARTHEID currently affecting all non-Muslims and non-Malays would also be applied upon the migrant Russian. This means that the BRICS and effectively 40% of the world’s population, if migrating to Malaysia, would face 2nd class citizenships while Malaysians migrating to BRICS countries will face no such apartheid. I hope that President Putin will raise this issue with Malaysia’s PM Najib and remind APEC that UN Human Rights are to be respected by all and that APARTHEID in Malaysia via the Bumiputra Special Privileges are against the spirit of the UN premise of equality among all mankind, and illegal because Malaysia is a signatory of the UNHCR as well the fact that Islam disallows somthing like Bumiputra APARTHEID. Again, the 3 items this blogger has lobbied for, for near 2 decades . . .

Better Future In Store With BN At The Helm – Wednesday, 13 June 2012 00:04

KUALA LUMPUR — Najib Tun Razak says Barisan Nasional (BN) is in the position to fulfil the aspirations of young people seeking further opportunities for advancement and better quality of life.

The prime minister said under the BN, a better future was in store for them and other Malaysians.

He noted that BN had proven that it could deliver what the people wanted for the country through the implementation of the government’s transformation agenda.

The level of trust and confidence of the people in the government hadincreased due to the success of the implementation of the national transformation policy, Najib said during a one-hour chat with members of the public via the NSTLive Chat Session on the NST website on Tuesday.

“I’m encouraged by the response that I can gauge directly from the rakyat, especially when I meet them during my countless visits throughout the country,” he said.

Asked when the general election would be held, Najib said he was looking at all possibilities before making a decision.

The prime minister pointed out that BN had to re-invigorate itself by choosing new talents with a view to striking a balance between the older and new generation of leaders.

He said there was a need to ensure continuity by maintaining a number of current leaders who were still popular with the people.

Asked on suggestions that it would be tough going for the BN to tackle urban areas, Najib said the government would continue its engagement with urban voters, including the Chinese community.

He said it was to make them understand that their future would be better with BN at the helm towards ensuring peace, stability, harmony and a more prosperous society.

On security, Najib said although the general crime rate had fallen, more could be done to ensure a safer environment for the people.

;or there really is no reason to vote BN again. How can a coalition that does not use the people’s mandate to ensure equality or even update laws presume to say there will be a better future? Stagnation and unending apartheid is not a future.

Karpal Singh has been quoted saying, “As long as I live, I will continue to fight for a non-Malay to be prime minister”. The Malaysian Federal Constitution under Article 43 (2) (a), “the Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall first appoint as Prime Minister to preside over the Cabinet a member of the House of representatives who in his judgement is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of that House;…”.

Dr Kua Kia Soong has written a commentary with regards to the statement made by the learned historian, Prof Emeritus Khoo Kay Kim. Khoo claimed that Malays were the natives of Tanah Melayu, Malaysia’s name before independence, and that the Malays formed the majority in the country.

Needless to say, the supreme law of the land in Malaysia is Federal Constitution. The law does not set down any qualification on the race of the Prime Minister. The convention of being a Malaysian Prime Minister has been a Malay and Muslim male. However, as a political realist, and not a strict legal positivist, and as a non Malay Malaysian, I’m of the view that they were both right.

Legally, anyone could be the Prime Minister of Malaysia as long as he is Malaysian and commands the confidence of majority of the members of the Parliament. Politically speaking, only a Malay could be the Prime Minister, considering Khoo’s historical point of view as per the current situation in Malaysia.

The hard truth that we must accept is, either you are a non Malay or Malay. Malaysia consists of approximately 22 million population, of which more than 60% of the population is of Malay-Muslim race. The human primordial instinct in addition to the general lack of advanced, critical liberation of thoughts, owed to the aggravated factors post-Mahathirism period, would never allow himself to choose someone out of his race.

We, as a Malaysian have been strongly poisoned by the effect of racial and religious segregation in the public society. The main issue should be – what quality the next Prime Minister, if there is a successor of Prime Minister Najib Razak should possess and be able to gain the confidence of majority of the Malaysians?

In view of all the issues of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, etc (factors to be discriminated upon an inborn cause), we, as a part of society, should have moved beyond this tribal instinct of categorisation when voting the Prime Minister.

There is a public duty for all eligible voters to be able to see through this and to choose only the capable, charismatic, confident, and upholds the rules of law, principle of justice, and common underlying values which enshrined through the unity of all the members of society.

I would urge the discussion on the qualification of Prime Minister move beyond race and religion and focus on the quality of a Prime Minister should possess.

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Why race and religion? Why not end of APARTHEID. Tuesday, 12 June 2012 from @AgreeToDisagree

Not-a-Turbanless-Sikh has been quoted saying, “As long as I live, I will continue to fight for the END OF APARTHEID”. The Malaysian Federal Constitution under Article (?) SPecial Privileges

Suhakam, Suaram and so many Human Rights oriented NGOs, have written commentary upon commentary or filed lawsuit upon lawsuit without regards to the statement made by so many unlearned historians of the Reid Commissions recommendatin that Special Privileges were to end after 15 years from 1969. Neither review nor action by so many term limitless politicians to address this has occured even after 4 times the allotted period has passed. And APARTHEID continues unabated in Malaysia.

Needless to say, while the supreme law of the land in Malaysia is Federal Constitution, the law DOES SET down any qualification on the period of SPECIAL PRIVILEGES (or Bumiputra Apartheid) in the REID COMMISSION which states a recommended 15 year limit on SPECIAL PRIVILEGES. The convention of a Malaysian Prime Minister being a Malay and Muslim male is discriminative and disenfranchising though not an absolute necessity excepting the sense of insecurity of the lower classes and less educated.

This is fostered by racist and self serving factions in political parties using Bumiputra Apartheid to enrich themselves and not even the poor Malays! However, as so many so called ‘political realists’, are unable to apply strict legal positivism and activism, so many non Malay Malaysians, have capitulated to the view that APARTHEID can be ignored.

Legally and by all agreements with the UN Charter as signed by Malaysia, anyone could be the Prime Minister of Malaysia as long as he is Malaysian and commands the confidence of majority of the members of the Parliament. Politically speaking, only a Malay could be the Prime Minister is simply APARTHEID. The system however does not allow a one-man, one-vote opportunity for the citizens to select who is to be Prime Minister and is sadly limited to ‘Representative Democracy’ where only 222 MPs can choose rather than ALL citizens, something almost no MPs wishes to broach or implement, being generally power mad and wishing to sequester those wide sweeping powers (which should be reduced) that the PM has. As of now under BN the PM holds several cabinet MInisters’ posts, which is untenable and causes conflict of interest no end with not a single MP addressing this fact. By the above issues (perhaps also the refusal to lower election deposits so that not only the rich can participate), BN and PR are the hegelian dialectic colluding against the citizentry that a 3rd Force is needed to displace by.

The hard truth that Malaysians must accept is, either we are UNHCR compliant or not (in which case Malaysia is no longer a signatory of the UNHCR). Malaysia consists of approximately 22 million population, of which more than 60% of the population is of Malay-Muslim race. The human primordial instinct in addition to the general lack of advanced, critical liberation of thoughts, owed to the aggravated factors post-Human Rights Council membership period, would never allow Malaysia to allow continuance of APARTHEID.

We, as Malaysians have been strongly poisoned by the effect of racial and religious segregation in the public society by MPs who contravene the Human Rights Charter Article 1. The main issue should be – what compliance of Malaysian Laws and Malaysian Constitution, if APARTHEID is to end to be able to gain the confidence of majority of the WORLD’s non-apartheid states?

In view of all the issues of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, etc (factors to be discriminated upon an inborn cause), we, as a part of society, should have moved beyond this tribal instinct of categorisation when accepting Laws and Constitution, especially more so for our MPs.

There is a public duty for all incumbent MPs to be able to see past this and to choose and allow only the Human Rights Charter compliant Laws and Constitution (amending the all outdated and apartheid laws and articles of constitution), and upholds the rules of EQUALITY, principle of justice, and common underlying values which enshrined through the unity of all the NATIONS OF THE WOLRD.

I would urge the discussion on the continuation of APARTHEID LAWS and APARTHEID ASPECTS OF CONSTITUTION, move beyond race and religion and focus on the needs basis of citizens who are poor and impoversihed to have special privileges rather than on the basis of race and religion. Who the PM is does not matter, that APARTHEID continues means Malaysia is a FAILED STATE where Human Rights are concerned. The articler above this one, focuses on the lameness of cults of personality, a REAL STATESMAN ONLY focuses on the ISSUE. And *THE ISSUE* is APARTHEID.

ARTICLE 3

Courts, not minister, should decide Penang local government elections, says MP – by Clara Chooi – June 13, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, June 13 — Penang today disagreed with Putrajaya’s claim that a recent state-passed enactment to restore local government elections was invalid, saying that only the courts could decide such a matter.

State executive councillor Chow Kon Yeow told the housing and local government minister to respect Penang’s jurisdiction in the matter, adding that the latter should be helping the state restore local elections instead of the contrary.

“I wish to remind the minister that, it is for the court — and not for him — to decide whether the Penang Local Government Elections Enactment is constitutional and valid.

“He has acted wildly beyond his jurisdiction and once again shows just how little respect the Barisan Nasional (BN) federal government has for the wishes of the people,” Chow said in a statement here.

Chor had told the Dewan Rakyat yesterday that the enactment, passed by the Penang legislative assembly last month, contravenes Section 15 of the Local Government Act 1976 (Act 171), which states that local government elections “shall cease to have force or effect”.

But Chow refuted this, insisting that in the first place, Section 15 of the Act was ultra vires the Federal Constitution.

Articles 113 and 114 of the Federal Constitution states that the Election Commission (EC) is responsible for conducting elections.

As such, said Chow, the Constitutional provisions should still apply.

“Further to that, the Penang government, through a Gazette notification, had exempted all the local authorities within Penang from applying Section 15 of the Local Government Act.

“This would result in Section 15 not being applicable in Penang and is the first step towards seeking a court declaration to compel the EC to conduct local government elections,” he said.

But Chow also noted that in a letter to the Penang government dated March 23, 2010, the EC had rejected the state’s request to restore local government elections.

“The Pakatan Rakyat (PR) Penang government through various attempts had written to the ministry as well as the EC to restore and conduct local elections; however, both the ministry and EC ignored Penang’s request,” he complained.

Chow added that the state had even written to the National Council for Local Government (NCLG) in July 2009, requesting that the topic of local government elections be brought up but this was rejected.

Faced with these hindrances, the Tanjong MP said the state assembly went ahead to pass the Local Government Elections Enactment (Penang Island and Province Wellesley) 2012 on May 9 this year.

He insisted that Chor, as minister, and the Attorney-General could not arbitrarily decide that the enactment was invalid.

“They have no jurisdiction over the matter. It is up to the court to decide whether the Enactment is constitutional, and Penang is ready to defend the right of her citizens in an independent court of law.

“If Penang’s citizens want free and fair elections to decide who represents their interest in local government, the federal government, much less Chor, have no business in forcing upon us an unreasonable decision that cannot be justified any longer,” he said

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

. . . and Penang is ready to defend the right of her citizens in an independent court of law. . . .

Once again, ad nauseum. Do a properly conducted unofficial unrecognized election in an official manner, THEN APPOINT the councillors the people chose in this EC unrecognized election. Stop writing to the Federal government run EC, while knowing there is no way there will be any amendment or cooperation, then using that refusal as an excuse to refuser the Rakyat Local Council Elections (in fact the CM’s and MB’s post, also Mayors in other towns, should be also on a one-man-one-vote basis like the USA President’s Election, not because Lim Guan Eng’s father seats Lim Guan Eng as CM in a blatant display of undemocratic NEPOTISM . . . ).

No need to involve the Federal government or write to the EC. There is enough power to APPOINT after conducting informal elections. Also instead of wasting tax monies on bribes to old folk then mothers (both groups should be offended by the offer) offer amendment of laws, waiver fines, lower utility bills or challenge nepotism politics. We want democracy, not bribery and pretentions!

Same old broken record of lame excuses. Read my older comments, PR idiots.

See response to Article 9 on link below on how the DAP can already informally hold Local Council Elections and apply the power they have instead if hiding behind technicalities :

BTW 1 term as CM already up. We look forward to our NEW CM voted via a one-man-one-vote system that will prohibit nepotism and enhance democracy.

ARTICLE 4

SECRET IS OUT: Najib has no evidence at all Bersih 3.0 was a Pakatan plot – Kit Siang – by Lim Kit Siang – Wednesday, 13 June 2012 13:24

Question No. 4 during Question Time in Parliament today was the star attraction of the day as I had asked the Prime Minister to substantiate his allegation more than a month ago that Bersih 3.0 rally was a coup attempt by the Opposition to overthrow the government.

MPs from both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat were expecting some “shocking” revelations to substantiate the very serious allegation by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak in Gua Musang on 4th May and which had the immediate support of three former Inspectors-General of Police, Tun Hanif Omar, Tan Sri Rahim Noor and Tan Sri Musa Hassan that the Bersih 3.0 rally was a coup d’etat attempt by Pakatan Rakyat to overthrow the Najib government on April 28 itself!

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, who replied on behalf of Najib, was however a total disappointment as he could not give even an iota of evidence to substantiate Najib’s allegation and went completely off tangent into a tirade against Bersih 3.0 and Pakatan Rakyat.

Nazri is entitled to his jaundiced views about Bersih 3.0 and Pakatan Rakyat but they do not constitute evidence that the Bersih 3.0 rally on April 28 was a coup attempt by Pakatan Rakyat to topple the Barisan Nasional government by force on April 28.

As I countered Nazri during my supplementary question, is the Najib government so weak that “salt and water bottles” (which was all that some of the peaceful Bersih 3.0 protestors were armed that day to defend themselves against any police tear gas and chemically-laced water cannons) could even topple it?

Nazri was deadly serious in his reply, saying “Don’t underrate salt and water bottles” saying that in Tunisia, the government was toppled by handphones when it did not have the support of the people.

No evidence at all!

The secret is now out – the Prime Minister and the three former IGPs have absolutely no evidence whatsoever to back the wild and reckless allegation that Bersih 3.0 rally was a coup attempt to topple the government by force, but the Najib government is mortally afraid of “salt and water bottles” because they can topple governments which have lost support of the people.

The challenge to Najib is to find out why despite all the big talk of transformations in various aspects of national life in the past three years, he is losing rather than gaining popular support.

As I repeated in Parliament this morning, the government’s misjudgment and mishandling of Bersih 3.0 and continuing demonization of Bersih 3.0 organisers and Pakatan Rakyat is an even bigger public relations disaster than the government’s initial misjudgment and mishandling of Bersih 2.0 rally of July 9, 2011.

For a start, Najib and three former IGPs Hanif, Rahim and Musa should have the decency to publicly apologise for the baseless allegation that Bersih 3.0 was a coup attempt by Opposition to topple the government by force.

Secondly, the government should dissolve the Hanif “independent advisory panel” inquiring into Bersih 3.0 violence and brutality, unless the panel’s has a secret agenda and term of reference – to come out with a finding that Bersih 3.0 rally was a coup attempt by the Opposition to topple the government by force.

Instead, the government should give full support to the Suhakam inquiry into Bersih 3.0 to find out what went wrong on April 28 to result in the violence and brutality which marred a peaceful and momentous gathering of hundreds of thousands of Malaysians regardless of race, religion, class, region, age or gender in support of a common national cause – a clean election!

Lim Kit Siang is the DAP adviser and MP for Ipoh Timur

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Hegelian eclectic puppet. Asking for apologies AGAIN instead of amending laws. Apologies have no effect on the way the country is run. Voters do you know what this nepotistic and term limitless MP has caused the nation under guise of ‘leadership’? In asking for apologies which people may never give even under extreme torture in some cases, means nothing in policy or law and a wastee of taxpayer monies by demanding apologies on your cash time. Another self aggrandizement oriented media circus, courtesy of nepotistic family bloc DAP.

(The Star) – It is not the symbol but the candidate that counts in winning an election, says Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad.

The Johor Baru MP, who once contested and won on an Independent ticket, said he chose the “three keys” symbol during a by-election for the seat.

“The reason was because almost everybody had keys. It was something anyone could relate to,” he said, when interviewed by The Star.

Shahrir added that his “keys” were red against a bright yellow background.

“The colours were outstanding as none of the other parties competing at that time had used the bright combination,” he said.

He added, however, that the symbol was not the key to his success in that 1988 by-election.

Shahrir said he promoted his symbol through stickers and pamphlets as well as when going door-to-door.

“I then left it to the voters to decide who would be most suitable to represent them.”

Shahrir, who won the Johor Baru seat as a Barisan Nasional candidate in 1978, said his success as an Independent was purely due to his bond with the people in the constituency.

He was sacked from Umno in the events leading to the Malaysian constitutional crisis and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah’s challenge to then prime minister and party president Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He then resigned from the seat and ran for re-election in the resulting by-election as an Independent. A year later, he returned to Umno.

Shahrir, who was Federal Territory minister before his sacking, said many politicians and political parties would blame “the whole world” if the electorate rejected them.

He said these disgruntled people would also blame the police and the Election Commission for their failure.

“They should never belittle voters. I believe that if you work hard and build a heart-to-heart connection with the people, there is no reason why you should not win,” said Shahrir, who was also once a Welfare, Youth and Sports minister and a deputy Trade and Industry minister.

He added: “No matter how many posters you put up, or how attractive your symbol may be, the people will vote for the person who they believe has the essence of leadership.”

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Does Samad believe in EQUALITY and ENDING APARTHEID? Only candidates that believe in in EQUALITY and ENDING APARTHEID count in an election.

ARTICLE 6

WHERE ARE THE POLICE WHEN U NEED THEM: Bersih’s Chin Huat attacked by bikers – Saturday, 09 June 2012 16:35

KUALA LUMPUR- Bersih steering committee member Wong Chin Huat accused police today of focusing on quashing protests instead of crime after he was left with a bloodied face from being mugged by a group of bikers this morning.

The Monash University lecturer wrote on social media platform Facebook that he was jogging near his home in Section 18, Petaling Jaya at 7.40am when he was surrounded by a group of as least five young men who attacked him when he tried to flee.

“I had been a victim of police violence. Today I become a victim of police failure in deterring crime. No, it was not politically motivated. They were only after money.

“But rising crime rate is political. Was told another man was robbed recently in that neighbourhood. Where are the police when we are not demonstrating?” he wrote, referring to clashes between police and supporters of Bersih’s April 28 rally for free and fair elections.

Wong has just been discharged from Universiti Malaya Medical Centre after an X-ray.

Police turned on the people at Bersih 3.0

Bersih’s planned sit-in at Dataran Merdeka had descended into chaos after some protestors tried to enter the historic square which the court had barred to the public and the past month has seen authorities and those backing the rally blaming each other for the violence that resulted.

Several dozen members of the public have come forward with allegations of police brutality while the police and Home Ministry insist they have evidence that some who attended the rally wanted bloodshed and even death.

The government has set up a panel to investigate the April 28 violence, but the choice of former police chief Tun Hanif Omar has been widely criticised after he compared the movement to communism and accused the organisers of an attempted coup.

The April 28 rally that saw tens of thousands gather at six different locations before heading to Dataran Merdeka was peaceful until about 2.30pm when Bersih leader Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan asked the crowd to disperse.

But her announcement was not heard by most of the crowd who persisted to linger around the historic square which the court had already barred to the public over the weekend.

Just before 3pm, some protestors breached the barricade surrounding the landmark, leading police to disperse the crowd with tear gas and water cannons.

Police then continued to pursue rally-goers down several streets amid chaotic scenes which saw violence from both sides over the next four hours.

Several dozen demonstrators have claimed that they were assaulted by groups of over 10 policemen at a time and visual evidence appears to back their claim but police also point to violence from rally-goers who also attacked a police car.

The police car then crashed into a building before some protestors flipped it on its side.

Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and PKR deputy president Azmin Ali have been accused of ordering the breach and are currently awaiting trial under the Peaceful Assembly Act for participating in an illegal street assembly.

–The Malaysian Insider

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Wong Chin Huat accused police today of focusing on quashing protests instead of crime AFTER he was left with a bloodied face from being mugged by a group of bikers this morning.

After?!? The 2 events are completely unrelated. What kind of reporting is this? – DISLIKE

. . . was jogging near his home in Section 18, Petaling Jaya at 7.40am when he was surrounded by a group of as least five young men who attacked him when he tried to flee. “I had been a victim of police violence.

AHEM? Those were bikers right? How did they turn into police? – DISLIKE MORE

Today I become a victim of police failure in deterring crime.

Only this this line makes sense. LIKE

No, it was not politically motivated. They were only after money.

THEN WHY MENTION THE POLICE AT ALL??? DISLIKE

“But rising crime rate is political. Was told another man was robbed recently in that neighbourhood.”

But rising crime rate is political. Eh? Rising crime rate is ECONOMIC. Are you sure this is a Monash grad? The moron can’t even think straight. DISLIKE

Was told another man was robbed recently in that neighbourhood. Rating 0

Robbery is due to poverty, upbringing or religious teaching, not politics. In any case, only those who are brimming with wealth (or are by nature so greedy) should be concerned. How many homes does ‘Monash Chin’ have? Run for election, not talk rubbish here. Chin looks abit like Chua Soi Lek btw.

The Bar Council’s view that the insertion of Section 22A to the Mufti and Fatwa (Kedah Darul Aman) Enactment 2008 which was passed by the Kedah state legislative assembly on 17 April 2012 is unconstitutional must be supported. DAP’s failure to comment on the matter indicates the Rocket is avoiding the issue, hoping that it will gradually fade away.

While the Bar Council’s response to this change in the state Enactment maybe somewhat delayed, but at least, it reflects the ground’s objection against this unconstitutional regulation and is anytime better than the muted response by Rocket leaders who dare not utter a sound. This shows DAP does not attach importance to the Federal Constitution, and dares not resist or question any moves by PAS.

The Rocket always claims to fight for the rights of the people, but does not do so. When it comes to non-Muslim rights, the people wonder if Kedah DAP state representatives had consented to the adoption of the Mufti and Fatwa (Kedah Darul Aman) Enactment 2008 and are sad that the only response DAP gave was that it was too late for them to oppose.

The insertion to this Enactment provides that a fatwa decided by a mufti or a fatwa committee, “whether gazetted or not, cannot be challenged, appealed, reviewed, denied or questions” in any civil or Syariah court despite any written law or rule to the contrary, is unfair against everybody.

Not living up to sworn oath

Kedah state assemblymen had sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution as it is the supreme law in Malaysia. This amendment cannot be considered a legislation for Kedah because it violates the oath. However, the Pakatan state legislators allowed this Clause to be inserted – contrary to the trust and support that the electorates placed in them.

Court jurisdiction & Separation of powers ousted

The amendment is unconstitutional as it removes the jurisdiction of the Courts. Article 121 of the Federal Constitution does not empower any state legislative assembly the legislative power to enact laws that exclude the jurisdiction of the Courts.

I also support the Bar Council’s stand on the separation of powers in a democratic framework which is theraison d’être to establish a system of checks and balances between the three branches of Government i.e. the Legislature, Executive and the Judiciary which each has its own role to avoid power abuse.

The ruling by the state legislature by Pakatan partners and religion-based regulations in Kedah have erroneously taken on a supreme authority and violates the doctrine of separation of powers which should be applied to all laws, Parliament Acts of state Enactments.

DAP leaders are not brave to disagree with PAS nor fight for the rights of all Malaysians. Such non-actions rendering everyone to be subjected to PAS is not conducive.

CHEW LEE GIOK is Wanita MCA Secretary General

(The views expressed above belongs to the author in its entirety and does not represent the opinion of Malaysian Mirror in any way)

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

This is not the only thing DAP has bee pretending will go away. The 90% of unkept campaign promises are a reminder of why DAP only won 1 term in Penang in the 1990s.

PETALING JAYA, June 9 — Unequal access to education is causing division among the different races in the country, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today, stressing the need for his Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) free higher education policy to be implemented.

“Education is the most divisive, contentious issue in the country.

“I think once and for all everyone should be offered free education, allowance, boarding… then it will no longer a racial issue, or a question of (whether) Chinese and Indians get access as everyone will get access,” he told about 1,000 who attended an economic dialogue.

Anwar (picture) said this could be achieved by abolishing the need for repayment of National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN) loans to students.

“It’s not a populist policy to abolish PTPTN, we have the means.

“RM6 billion per year (is what we need). (Datuk Seri) Najib (Razak) said RM43 billion. I dispute that figure RM30 billion is what we need (to finance PTPTN repayment for students),” he said.

“The issue is not free education, it is democratisation of access to quality education.

“It is a question of policies and programmes that benefit the people. If we can understand this we won’t be lulled into complacency or incessant propaganda by mainstream media,” Anwar added.

Through careful and prudent spending of the country’s annual budget, Anwar claimed PR would be able to save RM37 billion a year.

RM24 billion from that amount, he said could be used to aid the needy.

The clash between PR and the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) over the PTPTN loan scheme climaxed this week when loans to new students at Selangor-owned universities were frozen.

But the loans to Universiti Selangor (Unisel) and Selangor Islamic University College (Kuis) were restored on Friday following widespread condemnation from lawmakers on both sides of the divide and student activists.

This was despite the PR-governed state announcing it would sell land owned by the university to raise RM30 million to help finance those being denied access to the student loans.

But Anwar said the move to freeze loans to universities owned by the state government his PKR controls was “a big mistake which angered people.”

“How can you threaten people like that? It was done out of sheer arrogance, and reversed because of (public) outrage.”

The federal government’s reversal yesterday was done after it drew fierce criticism from PR politicians who were joined by some Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders fearing a political backlash.

It came just days after the freeze was first announced and a day after Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin defended as a “fair test” the move which was clearly aimed at laying bare PR’s campaign for free university education.

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah also criticised the move early yesterday after Selangor had announced it would help those who could not access PTPTN loans.

PTPTN had confirmed earlier yesterday newly enrolled students at the Selangor Islamic University College (Kuis) were to join those in Unisel in being denied student loans.

But Saifuddin wrote on Twitter that “the Kuis rector has met me and I have informed the minister of his appeal that PTPTN loans not be frozen for his students. Kuis’ official letter will be sent shortly.”

The Temerloh MP also told The Malaysian Insider that he was awaiting a reply from Khaled after “informing him the freeze is being widely and strongly objected and seeks his good office to rescind it.”

The uproar over the freeze also led to BN Youth leaders voicing their disagreement, pointing out that the “test” was unnecessary as “it is clear Selangor cannot give free education.”

But these protests from members of the ruling coalition came after Selangor decided to raise RM30 million by selling land owned by Unisel to provide financial assistance to students who have been denied the loans.

An Umno leader told The Malaysian Insider that if Selangor were to succeed in funding the affected students, “it would mean they have passed the test” set by Muhyiddin.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

NO . . . writer for Mr.NEPOTISTIC LIAR closet bisexual. **APARTHEID** and extreme religion is the most divisive issue. PTPTN can close down for all the rest of the country’s citizens care, but to allow extreme religion, nepotism, oligarchy and apartheid to continue means PR is no better than BN.

Strike 2. If Anwar attempts to hide apartheid again by sweeping apartheid issues via ‘education demogoguery’ Anwar might as well not run for election . . . undemocratic spinner chameleon. Apartheid will end, or Malaysia can quit the Human Rights Council and remove Malaysia’s name from the UNHCR list of signatories to properly signal Malaysia’s 3rd world status and damn all politicians who allowed 3rd World APARTHEID to persist. I am sure there are conscientious Malays or good Muslims who will ensure equality for non-Muslims in Malaysia, Anwar being a pretentious freak here, does not deserve a single vote along with DAP’s dhimmis or PAS’s undemocratic huded lovers.

ARTICLE 9

Anwar says will reveal bank accounts if Muhyiddin does the same – Sunday, 10 June 2012 Super Admin

(The Malaysian Insider) – Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has said he is prepared to open all the accounts he owns only if Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin does likewise.

“If there’s a case he should have charged me. This shows how desperate Muhyiddin is.

“I challenge him open up every single case. I will open up every single account and Muhyiddin must do likewise,” he told reporters here.

“I challenge Muhyiddin to be investigated, I am prepared to submit everything,” said the PKR de facto leader.

Muhyiddin said the allegation was not a small matter, and the former deputy prime minister must be responsible in promptly explaining the matter to the people.

“The figure (RM3 billion) mentioned is big. So, it is the duty of the opposition leader to clarify it. It is true or not. If not true, answer…the people want to know…the NGOs which are making the demands for an explanation also represent a large number of people.

“If untrue, Anwar must take action against the parties making the allegation, including the ex-Bank Negara Assistant Governor,” he told reporters after launching a State-level ‘Love Gardeners’ Programme at Dataran Sarang Buaya, here, today.

Muhyiddin who is also education minister, said Anwar’s authority and integrity would be affected if he did not clarify the allegation.

Last Tuesday, Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali was reported to have raised the status of the investigations by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on Abdul Murad’s allegation made almost 13 years ago.

Ibrahim said that the exposure by the Bank Negara Assistant Governor, among others, alleged that Anwar (picture) controlled 20 master accounts involving assets, shares and money worth RM3 billion, which were obtained when he was Finance Minister towards the end of the 1990s.

Newspapers today reported that several NGOs also urged MACC to speed up investigations in the claim as the matter was of public interest.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Shut up the both of these overgrown parasistes of the Rakyat. The Rakyat demands that BOTH creeps reveal cash and property assets in 1 week or no votes. In fact ALL MPs who do not reveal assets should no longer be voted. Anwar to Muhyiddin: ‘If you show me your bank accounts, I’ll show you mine . . . ‘ – ALL MPS will show ALL assets to the voters or else NO VOTES!!! Anwar could simply declare assets THEN have one up against Muhyiddin, instead Anwar engages in the nonsense that insults the voters on taxpayer funded Dewan time! We didn’t vote MPs to hear them play homosexual innuendo off the MP’s lack of accountability!

MAN ON A MISSION: Gerakan secretary-general Teng Chang Yeow has been given the task of leading the Barisan Nasional charge to penetrate fortress DAP in Penang. The mission may be tough, many think it may be impossible. But Teng tells Sharanjit Singh how Penang under Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng is being administered aimlessly

Question: How tough is it for Barisan Nasional to win back the hearts and minds of the people of Penang?

Answer: Public perception of BN has not changed much since we lost the state in 2008.

However, I believe we will be able to convince the people that we are a better team. We will put up a good, sincere plan and make a concerted effort to explain in detail what we have in store for Penang.

Question: The thing is, people have a perception that everything that has gone wrong for Penang was caused by the previous state government. How are you tackling this?

Answer: That is the kind of accusation and perception that Pakatan Rakyat leaders have created in the minds of the people.

However, you have to realise that the leaders of the past are no longer in our new team. It is a new ball game now and we have a new approach.

We have a committed team that is looking into Penang development from a whole new perspective compared with the previous leadership. The previous leadership has laid the foundation and we will build on it.

Question: Whatever you say, people are still talking about how previous chief minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon messed up. What is your take on this?

Answer: People were angry with Koh’s leadership style. It was not about his development vision and projects for the state. The record of the number of projects that he brought in is there for everyone to see.

It is not my intention to protect him by saying this but I have to state the facts. Yes, people are critical and disappointed with his leadership style, but he built the foundation for Penang. He was the one who came up with the concept of low- and middle-cost housing, which was then something new for the whole country as well. Developers were not willing to build RM25,000 homes but he overcame that.

He was also responsible for connecting the whole of Penang to a central sewage treatment plant. This has created a cleaner discharge into the sea.

Koh was also responsible for the two national parks that we have in land-scarce Penang.

Question: People are angry with Koh’s leadership style as he was seen as too accommodative. How is your leadership going to be different?

Answer: In a leadership situation, you can be accommodative and you must be accommodative. Otherwise you will be accused of being too authoritarian.

However, one cannot be seen as too accommodative to the extent that one is seen as giving in to every demand. My style is that I am willing to listen but I will put my foot down when I have to.

I am prepared to listen and alter my decision but once it’s made, we have to implement it and get things moving.

Question: Immediately after your appointment as the state BN chief, DAP jumped and accused you of being an Umno stooge. What do you have to say about that?

Answer: It is the DAP game. They do it to weaken the image and standing of a particular leader, especially those from Gerakan and MCA, in the eyes of the Chinese.

Lim Guan Eng was heaping praises on Chong Eu (the late former Penang chief minister Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu) after becoming the chief minister. His father (Lim Kit Siang) on the other hand condemned Chong Eu to kingdom come when he contested in the 1990 general election.

Now is the son slapping the father or did Kit Siang make a grave mistake by doing a disfavour to Chong Eu back in 1990? Let us not forget this part of history.

Of course, there is no shortage of the negative things they said about Koh Tsu Koon. So, whoever is appointed to this position in their eyes, is a stooge of Umno.

Question: Lim Guan Eng continues to play the blame game. The latest is on the issue of hillslope development, where he has washed his hands and said it was all approved by the previous state government. You are the former state executive councillor for environmental protection. Is this true?

Answer: The state government should declassify all the files and minutes of exco meetings to see what decisions were taken and the basis of us making the decisions.

I may be wrong, but I don’t think we approved those projects in question at that point in time. The best thing for him to do is declassify the files and show people what we had approved and what has been approved after 2008.

The thing is, they are in power now and they can do something about it. Remember how the approvals for four high-rise projects in the heritage zone were revoked? Why is the state government not doing the same thing for hillside projects?

Question: Lim has accused the BN of being the darling of developers.

Answer: Yes, he said developers found it easier to work with us than him.

Why don’t you ask any developer in town who they prefer to work with? The answer is they prefer to work with the DAP government now because he (Lim Guan Eng) has allowed the increase in density anywhere in Penang.

In our case, we never allowed that and developers were unhappy with us. The best example is how the Low Yatt group packed their bags and left Penang. Now they are coming back and so are many other developers from Kuala Lumpur.

So, what is the basis of his claim? It has never been easier for developers in Penang. We were blamed by developers of taking too long to approve a plan.

It took three or four years during our time but today plans are approved much faster. It would be crazy for developers to prefer us over the present government.

Question: The state government is citing the increase in stop work orders to show how tough it has become for developers.Answer: What is the use of a stop work order issued today and lifted tomorrow? Have we seen any developer blacklisted or charged in court? The Gurney Paragon developer was slapped with a stop work order, but for how long? The project has been completed well within schedule.

Question: There seems to be confusion on your announcement on the free port status for Penang. Is it for the whole island or is it a plan to have a duty free area on the mainland?

Answer: It is the whole island. The duty free area on 3,000 acres of land by Penang Port Sdn Bhd on the mainland will complement the duty free status of the island.

We need both or we will be accused of having one state with two systems — a free port on the island and nothing on the mainland. What is there for them (the state government) to jump on?

They are just trying to confuse the people by saying that the free port proposal is no more and that I have compromised it for a duty free area on the mainland.

Question: You have a tough task ahead to fight Pakatan in Penang. How do you plan to do it?

Answer: It is a battle that we need to fight with competence, good strategy and a detailed war plan.

No one will go into battle without thinking of winning. Any general who has led a war will have this in mind.

I am leading a team of BN candidates into battle hoping to win. I don’t want to rate the chances but we must have a positive mindset.

When the DAP was badly beaten in the 1995, 1999 and 2004 general elections, Lim Kit Siang still had the fighting spirit. We may disagree with his style but he had the fighting spirit.

Question: Penang DAP leaders are saying that you are all thunder but no rain. How do you respond to that?

Answer: I thank them for paying so much attention to what I want to do but it is about time they start working on their own plans.

It shows how concerned they have become with what I want to do for Penang that they are having almost daily press conferences attacking me.

All I have done so far is to reveal plans that are implementable and they are already sweating.

Question: Are you saying they are rattled?

Answer: I don’t know but obviously they have not come up with anything after four years.

The direction of the state is actually aimless. They don’t have any policy or blueprint for Penang.

Lim shelved their own blueprint and adopted what Pemandu (Performance Management and Delivery Unit) planned for Penang.

How can you say you have a vision but allow others to spearhead their plans?

If we are the ones in this position we will tell Pemandu, “You have to adjust or modify your ideas for Penang to suit our plans. It is not we who will suit your plan. We are the ones who call the shots here not you Pemandu”.

On other fronts, we are also seeing a decline in sports. We have not seen the state team performing well in Sukma. What has gone wrong?

Everything is politicised and you just don’t see any social development programmes being undertaken by the current administration. – (NST)

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Equality and end of apartheid first. Otherwise MCA will get no votes.

ARTICLE 11

Cash-rich Genting hungry for new gaming markets – June 08, 2012

A man walks past a Genting signboard at Genting Highlands July 27, 2009. — Reuters pic
KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 — Genting Berhad sits on more cash than any other gaming operator in the world, yet it is raising additional billions on the debt market, fuelling speculation that its stake purchase in Australia’s Echo Entertainment is just the beginning of an acquisition spree.

Genting, competing with Las Vegas Sands and MGM Resorts to dominate the Asian casino market, may target assets in Japan, South Korea and Mongolia, analysts said.

Of those markets, Japan may be the most attractive, according to Michael Paladino, a New York-based gaming analyst at Fitch Ratings.

“It could have the potential to be a larger scale (development) because of the size of the economy and the fact that it is a destination in itself, more so than other markets,” Paladino said.

With limited growth at home and a lagging share price, Asia’s second-largest gaming group by market capitalisation is looking to expand its global footprint.

The company, best known for its Genting Highlands casino complex and Singapore’s Resorts World at Sentosa, has invested in the Philippines and Vietnam after missing out on a concession in Macau more than a decade ago.

Genting Berhad is the investment holding company of the Genting Group, which comprises listed companies such as Genting Singapore, Genting Plantations and Genting Malaysia.

Genting Singapore said today it had acquired a small stake in Echo, sparking talk of a takeover of the US$3 billion (RM9 billion) Australia casino firm.

Genting Berhad was sitting on RM17.4 billion in cash and equivalents as of the end of March, so it could conceivably pay for a deal of that size without borrowing.

Last month, Genting said it got approval to raise US$636 million through a 20-year bond programme, after Genting Singapore raised a total of S$2.3 billion through perpetual securities in March and April.

Still, the company’s debt financing is more manageable compared to its peers. Genting Berhad’s debt-to-equity ratio was 0.57 versus 1.12 for Las Vegas Sands and 2.27 for MGM Resorts, according to Thomson Reuters data.

“It is in Genting’s interest to speed up the acquisition process,” said Loke Wei Wern, an analyst with CIMB Research. “They are paying out interest on their loans and that’s quite a lot of money.”

Although Genting’s casino properties in Malaysia and Singapore are highly profitable, growth is limited compared with the booming global gaming industry, putting the company under pressure to seek out more promising options.

Genting’s shares have fallen about 13 per cent so far this year, compared with a 0.6 per cent gain in the Thomson Reuters Asia Pacific Casinos & Gaming Index.

In Singapore, the government restricts casinos from marketing to locals, and junket operators are not allowed to provide credit to VIP players, which limits their appeal with high rollers.

“With (Sentosa) getting close to the end of its development phase, it’s the right time for the group to start looking at what could be coming up in future,” said Grace Ho, a fund manager at Lion Global Investors who covers Asian equities. — Reuters

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Penny ante gaming from neighbourhood 4D outlets with private licences. No more of this mega casino in an inaccessible location with ‘highly trained’ croupier b.s. with ‘memory training’ advantage. Some of us are here to enjoy the atmosphere, not waste mega bucks a few times a year against extreme opponents, while trying to win a free meal or at most the month’s rent.

Ridiculous and unrealistic outlet paradigm. Of course again, no Muslims allowed for localized outlets, and this will be on a salary or asset based limit of 30% monthly salary limit or yearly asset 10% limit (i.e. salaried may lose up to 30% of salary monthly before beung barred entry, salaried may lose up to 10% of asset yearly before beung barred entry). This way people get to gamble reasonably and the casino does not end up bankrupting people, and licences are distributed to many people in easily accessible outlets.

ARTICLE 12

DAP men get council posts – Friday, 08 June 2012 Super Admin

(The Star) – Three of the five DAP leaders who were in the dark since March over their nomination to local council seats have received letters confirming their appointments.

Klang Parliamentary Liaison Committee chairman Ivan Ho has been dropped while two-term Sepang councillor Titus Gladwyn Gomez said he was still waiting for the letter.

K. Yogasigamany, who had served as a councillor in Shah Alam last year, has been appointed to the Selayang council this time.

“I received a call on Tuesday from the Selayang council asking me to collect the letter and to submit my particulars,” he said.

Their appointment comes after state DAP chairman Teresa Kok ticked off fellow state executive councillor Ronnie Liu in March for amending the list of nominees without the knowledge of the state DAP.

DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang chaired an emergency meeting on March 7 and ordered the list submitted by the state DAP to be followed and despatched a letter to Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.

It is believed that Liu had removed six names as they were aligned to Selangor state legislative assembly speaker Datuk Teng Chang Khim. One of them, Tan Tuan Tatt later withdrew.

Another councillor, Chandran Subramaniam 52, also received his appointment letter and took his oath of office in Hulu Selangor yesterday.

He said he was informed of his reappointment when the councillors’ list was released in February but only received the letter on Tuesday.

Chandran had earlier claimed that two state DAP leaders had conspired to drop his name from the list of council nominees.

First-time councillor Nadasan Subramaniam said he had received a call confirming that he had been appointed to the Kuala Langat Council and would be sworn in on June 27.

Meanwhile Khalid, when contacted, confirmed that vacancies for 25 councillors were approved three weeks ago.

“The various councils are taking steps to fill them,” he said.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Much like the one for one vote of USA’s president, these posts belong to to NEUTRAL members of the public, and NOT partisan and corrupt members, nepotists, of any political party. These posts should be voted for by the local constituency’s residents and should be subject to limited terms. Also only appropriate members of the public with appropriate experience in planning, at most retired bureaucrats from appropriate departments who are also not to be members of any political party.

ARTICLE 13

Why PTPTN cannot be abolished – Friday, 08 June 2012 Super Admin

(The Star) – The Government cannot afford to abolish the National Higher Education Corporation Fund (PTPTN) as doing so now will result in RM43bil uncollected loans.

This money, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, could be used for many important causes to help the rakyat.

“Also bear in mind that a good degree is a stepping stone to higher earnings, and that the taxes of some of the lower income households in our society contribute to that stepping stone,” he said in his latest posting on PTPTN in his 1malaysia.com.my website.

Najib admitted that PTPTN, which was first introduced 15 years ago, had not been without criticism.

“There have been calls to replace the system with free tertiary education for all as a measure of lessening the repayment burden on students.

“We have weighed the pros and cons of this. While abolishment does offer an instant respite to students still repaying their loans under PTPTN, there are other factors to consider,” he added.

As of now, he said, between 85% and 95% of tuition costs were already being subsidised by the Government, and student living expenses were factored into the PTPTN loans.

Furthermore, he said, the very principle of 100% subsidy of college and university fees was one that few countries had followed.

However, he said, the Government recognised that debt was an issue of concern to Malaysians, especially fresh graduates and that was why they were only required to start paying their loans after they found full employment.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Yes the government can. Hand the record of bad debt over to the police or local magistrates for each district to handle, and let the PTPTN close down and stop draining tax payer funds on top of losses in loans.

Former Umno strongman Kadir Sheikh Fadzir has launched his new party, but is he merely babysitting it for Kelantan prince?

Months of speculation on the next move of former Umno minister and former MP for Kulim Bandar Baru, Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir, comes to an end yesterday as he formed a new party, Parti Ikatan Bangsa Malaysia (Ikatan).

Everyone thought that the flamboyant Umno politician has retired for good when he was dropped as the candidate for the Kulim Bandar Baru parliamentary seat in Kedah in the 2008 general election.

The seat was then given to his younger brother Abd Aziz but he lost it to PKR candidate Zulkifli Noordin. Zulkifli eventually became a thorn in the flesh for PKR and later left the party.

In recent months, Kadir became a newsmaker once again when he came out in the open to criticise Umno and joined together with Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah to form a new NGO, Angkatan Amanah Merdeka (Amanah).

Kadir left Umno in March and was expected to join one of the Pakatan Rakyat parties but now has announced the formation of a new political party. It is also speculated that Kadir could be the new Pakatan candidate for Kulim Bandar Baru.

With the formation of a new party, Kadir has once against raised speculations that he is forming the new party and “parking” it for Tengku Razaleigh in the event the latter decides to leave Umno.

Tengku Razaleigh’s dilemma

During the recent visit of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to Kelantan, Tengku Razaleigh, popularly known as Ku Li, was prominently featured with him in the mainstream media suggesting that both of them enjoyed a good relationship.

However, as the general election nears, Umno circles are eagerly waiting whether Tengku Razaleigh would be fielded again for the Gua Musang seat in Kelantan which he has held for decades, both when he was in Umno or the opposition.

Najib is expected to retain Tengku Razaleigh as the Umno candidate for Gua Musang and Tengku Razaleigh himself has indicated that he would continue with Umno and has no intention of leaving the party.

At the same time, it is also clear that Tengku Razaleigh could easily win Gua Musang whether he is in Umno or not as he has proven in several general elections before.

In the general election held in 1990 and 1995, Tengku Razaleigh comfortably retained Gua Musang even as a candidate from Semangat 46, then joining with PAS.

Najib faces a dilemma when it comes to Tengku Razaleigh. If he drops him as a candidate, it is as good as a seat lost for Umno since Tengku Razaleigh would contest as an independent and even PKR and PAS may support him.

If Najib retains Tengku Razaleigh, there is a fear among Umno circles that Tengku Razaleigh may lead a faction from Umno to support Pakatan to form the next federal government.

If the results of the 13th general election lead to a hung Parliament, then Tengku Razaleigh, as an elected MP, may play a crucial role in deciding which political group should form the next federal government.

Being a royalty himself, his influence among the rulers would also be a crucial factor in deciding the next federal government.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Glacial. Anytime befor the next ice age Kuli. End apartheid, this ’embroyonic’ b.s. thing has been going on since the last election – slow moving old men and limitless terms hanging around apartheid political parties! Look elsewhere voters!

In a recent interview with a news portal, PKR deputy president Azmin Ali said he was against the practice of dynasty politics in the country.

Though he “defended” Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s family members (wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and daughter Nurul Izzah are respectively the party’s president and vice president) whom he said were democratically elected to their posts, he warned PKR not to fall into the trap of “nepotism and cronyism” as in the case of Umno.

The practice of dynasty politics exists in both the Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR). Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is the son of the second prime minister, Tun Abdul Razak; Mukhriz Mahathir is the son of former prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad; DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng is the son of senior advisor Lim Kit Siang; Karpal Singh’s sons, Gobind Singh and Jagdeep Singh, are both elected representatives; PAS Youth deputy chairman Nik Abduh is the son of PAS Spiritual Advisor Datuk Seri Nik Aziz Nik Mat, and the list goes on.

All over Asia

We have dynasty politics everywhere, although it is most apparent in Asia. For generations, political dynasties have dominated politics and governance in Asia, particularly in South Asia. Like the Nehru-Gandhi family in India, the Bhuttos of Pakistan are one of the world’s most famous political dynasties.

From the United States, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh in South Asia, to Japan and China in East Asia and Singapore, Philippines in South-east Asia, prominent family background has proved to be a central factor for one’s ascendancy to the pinnacles of power. This phenomenon takes place regardless of the independent levels of economic development, cultural differences, and types of political systems.

A brief list includes: in the United States, former President George W. Bush (son of former President George Bush); in Argentina, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (wife of former President Nestor Kirchner); in Japan, former Prime Minister of Japan Yukia Hatoyama (grandson of former Prime Minister Ichiro Hatoyama); in Thailand, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra (sister of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra); and in the Philippines, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (daughter of former President Diosdado Macapagal).

In the Philippines, for example, dynasty politics is very pervasive. Each time there’s an election, it serves as a regular reminder of the roles that feudal instincts and the family name play in that nation’s politics. The current president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III is the son of the former president Corazon Aquino.

According to Raymond “Mong” Palatino, a former civil society academic turned Congressman who blogs about Filipino politics, Aquino belongs to the most prominent family in the Philippines today – in fact to the most powerful political family in the past half century.

Shouldn’t there be safeguards

While dynasty politics continues to conquer the Senate and Congressional contests and political dynasties continue to dominate local politics so much that, there have even been demands for laws against these dynasties. Although Filipino law limits incumbents to three consecutive terms of three years each, families find a way to maintain their power through a loophole that allows relatives to run for the same office.

Such dominance, however, has grown more extensive in recent years. In a political landscape populated by family names, the prominence of so many dynastic elites makes it seem like a family business. Children of the dynasties seem to own a “licence” regarding their political power and positions while ordinary citizens can only accept the arrangement as destined.

So what are the possible consequences of the dynasty politics? Apart from contributing to corruption, the inequality in the distribution of political power may re?ect imperfections in democratic representation. The dominance of dynasties anticipates the expansion of political participation and empowerment of people. There are more fundamental problems, too.

They are also in a way preventing new talent, new ideas or literally, new blood from entering politics. A senior fellow at the Tokyo Foundation, Sota Kato, said, “it takes a blood test to get elected these days”. With dynasty politics, politics becomes about personalities alone and name recognition places a much more important role than the competence.

The Kennedys were the most famous Western political dynasty, while the Bush election as the second instance in American history of a father-son presidency ascertains that dynastic politics do not just happen in Third World democracies and dictator regimes.

So are we ready for another political dynasty?

-Khoo Ying Hooi

Commentator Response :

Wednesday, 06 June 2012 14:57 posted by FUCKBOLEHLAND

It is the practice of PARASITIC DYNASTY POLITIC in any country will typically sucks and inflicts gangrenous Hippocratic diseases to its people! So let the arguments be more objective, after all we aren’t the idiotic bunch that can’t differentiate in the complacency in between the grey areas?

Most developing and third world countries are suckers for this PARASITIC DYNASTY POLITIC syndrome and precisely this is WYSIWYG in the context of Malaysian Politics.

Isn’t it true, all this while we Malaysians are so engulfed with subscriptions to crazy political bigotry issues, divide and rule politics that we had forgotten that very common denominator that we are all wearing our pants that have transparent massive holes that expose our buttocks? That is the precisely the reason these PARASITIC DYNASTY POLITICAL syndrome naturally sodomize (excuse me- but its no shame its umeno favorite word) and castrated our balls that we are fucked up that we have no more voices to be heard. The moment we perceive a political leader as “the one that knows all” – we are all dead meat! The Malay proverb is precise “Bertuan tak Bertempat” – The old fucking Hang Tuah shitty crappy stuff is all nothing but all fucked up mess. All citizens must be the modern Hang Jebat that demands Transparency of Governance whoever rules the day!

So what is this fucking Hang Tuah shitty crappy stuff? Citizen’s NUMB SKULL Attitude! So WHAT do we have? Instead of the Prime Minister that works for its people and Malaysia – we have the PRIME MINISTER OF A PARTY! Instead of a Wakil Rakyat –We have a WAKIL PARTY! All the while these parasites are busy building mandates for their families, little empires and little napoleon mobs and cronies polluting the political agendas of the very votes that put them in office.

High time we Malaysians debunk our thinking about politics – Any government of the day that deviates from the aspirations of the context of the Constituency of Malaysia deserves to be shown to the backdoor exit!

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

2 term limits, no family blocs and no ‘continuity within family’ are the only rules for all tax payer paid for posts. This is a neutral public post, not a family business.

ARTICLE 16

AGREE OR NOT? Make English a compulsory pass in SPM and a credit to get Grade 1 – by Lim Guan Eng – Wednesday, 06 June 2012 13:36

To improve the standard of English to maintain our international competitiveness, the Education Ministry should consider to make it compulsory to pass the English language paper in Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia(SPM) and that a credit is essential to obtain Grade 1 in SPM.

The widely acknowledged weakening of the English language proficiency in Malaysia continues to weaken our global competitiveness in science, technology and the economy. The Ministry of Education’s latest attempt to improve English language proficiency is the policy to “Uphold Bahasa Malaysia and Strengthen the English Language” (MBMMBI), which serves to replace and reverse the policy of the“Teaching of Science and Mathematics in English” (PPSMI).

MBMMBI aims to increase the quality of both Bahasa Malaysia and the English language. Strategies include increasing the numbers of hours for the teaching and learning of both languages, encouraging teachers of respective languages to attend enhancement courses, strengthening the respective language curriculum, and using information technology via relevant software and internet portals to facilitate the teaching and learning of both languages.

Disparity remains

However, there continues to be a disparity between both languages as students must achieve at least a passing grade in Bahasa Malaysia in order to receive their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and to enter public institutions of higher learning, but there is no requirement to pass the English language at any level of the Malaysian school system.

MBMMBI cannot arrest the weakening of English language proficiency if the Ministry of Education does not also make a passing grade in the English language as a pre-requisite to qualify for SPM. Requirements for SPM will be increased from the year 2013 with students needing to pass both Bahasa Malaysia and History to qualify. However, a passing grade in the English language is still not compulsory.

Global language

In its National Education Policy, the Ministry of Education has acknowledged that English is the global language of communication and language of knowledge that Malaysians must master in order to compete nationally and globally. However, this is not reflected in the allocation of teaching hours and the Ministry does not give incentive for students to improve their command of the English language.

Currently, National Schools are allowed an allocation of up to 360 minutes per week for the teaching and learning of Bahasa Malaysia and up to 300 minutes per week for the teaching and learning of the English language, whilst National-type Schools are allowed an allocation of up to 300 minutes per week for the teaching and learning of Bahasa Malaysia and up to 150 minutes per week for the teaching and learning of the English language. Making a passing grade in the English language compulsory to qualify for SPM and that a credit is required for Grade 1, would give students the incentive to put in extra effort to improve their English language proficiency.

Creating this incentive for students is necessary if the Ministry of Education is committed to strengthening English language proficiency. Or else Malaysia will lose out in future competitiveness with deteriorating standards in English when other countries are improving theirs.

Lim Guan Eng is the DAP secretary-general and Penang Chief Minister

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Aiming at target demographic is good, but certainly long term, but method as opposed to going to the UN is bad and will definitely not pass the Education Ministry’s watch. Just going to make them more racist and defensive. This dirty trick mentality, irritate voter format, really is part of LGE’s sick make up! Giving the Chinese a bad name! Is winning everything? Not by irritating the host race with arbitrary law methods while ignoring amending of bad laws. Everyone should have a choice in what language whether they pass SPM or not. If they don’t know English, there will be no difference, this is middle school level b.s.. And racist as hell.

How about using the legal and fair method repeated ad nauseum to those mostly deaf ears, and forgetful mind where cnmapaign promises are concerned. Ethics is not something easy to learn, and this nepotistic feller here has 1 term left . . . after which if the Malays pull a Mubarak on ‘Beloved CM and Fam’ even some Chinese and for certain Indians will not hesitate to pull a Tahrir on DAP. 2 TERMS ONLY, don’t propose 2 decade plans (i.e. exclusion via education) so as to justify limitless terms, we can all see where this is going. How about the Malays get a Malay to challenge Guan Eng on the below 3 items :

1 term as CM up Mr.Beneficiary of Nepotism, and too many terms as MP long up as well (could the courts or Bar Council apply new laws placing 2 term limits on all MPs?) . . . Had 15 mins (2 terms) ? so GTFO of the Dewan with the rest of your relatives!

ARTICLE 17

Understanding the powers of the King – Saturday, 02 June 2012 Super Admin

In a situation where there is no clear majority, the King can call on two opposing prime ministers-in-waiting to submit their lists of supporters within a specified amount of time, and it is up to the King to vet the lists in whatever way he sees fit as the Constitution is silent on the methodology. And because the claim of a majority must satisfy the Agong, the final decision rests in his hands alone, Dr Shad Saleem said. And this is the situation where the Agong can exercise his greatest power.

Joseph Sipalan, The Star

MALAYSIANS celebrate the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s official birthday today as the first Saturday of June is mandated by the Malaysian constitution as His Majesty’s birthday.

To most Malaysians, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is a celebrated figurehead at the helm of a unique system of government that recognises a constitutional monarchy and a functioning parliamentary democracy.

Unique, because unlike most other countries that recognise one royal family, we see a new lineage elected to the throne every five years from among the nine existing royal families in Peninsular Malaysia.

When the term figurehead is mentioned, the common assumption is that the King’s role is purely ceremonial and carries very little clout in terms of actual powers to dictate how the country is run.

This assumption is not entirely correct. The King’s powers are divided into five categories that cover the entire spectrum of his dominion – executive functions, legislative functions, judicial functions, other important duties and appointment of persons to important posts.

For the most part, the various clauses and sub-clauses that make up the categories require the King to act on the advice of the Prime Minister, and in certain cases from other people as well.

But there are instances where the King could be the one man who decides the future of not just aspiring prime ministers, but the entire country.

Constitutional law expert Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi explained that the King is bound by a clear set of guidelines when appointing a Prime Minister.

A prime minister in-waiting must first belong to the Dewan Rakyat, and secondly, in the opinion of the Agong, command the majority of the Lower House – which in this case would be the Dewan Rakyat.

This would be straightforward when the winning party in a general election commands a clear majority in the Lower House.

The King’s true powers however, only emerge in the case of a hung Parliament.

In a situation where there is no clear majority, the King can call on two opposing prime ministers-in-waiting to submit their lists of supporters within a specified amount of time, and it is up to the King to vet the lists in whatever way he sees fit as the Constitution is silent on the methodology. And because the claim of a majority must satisfy the Agong, the final decision rests in his hands alone, Dr Shad Saleem said. And this is the situation where the Agong can exercise his greatest power.

The Agong has even more discretion in deciding whether or not to grant a request to dissolve Parliament, as the Constitution does not state any specific grounds to justify the King’s decision to withhold consent.

While this clause allows a lot of leeway for interpretation, Dr Shad Saleem said, there were three conceivable scenarios where the King could freely exercise his right to not grant consent.

The first is when the ruling Government decides to call for snap polls immediately after losing a general election.

Unless the Agong feels that the winning party can form a strong and stable Government, the request can be denied.

The King can also say no if he believes a round of polls will be prejudicial to national interests such as the health of the economy, and likewise if the prime minister is using the polls to subvert the constitution, by gaining an unfair advantage over his opponents in his own party, for example.

It must be noted that while the monarch can refuse to allow a dissolution (of Parliament), he cannot directly call for one.

“That is the prerogative of the Prime Minister,” Dr Shad Saleem said.

The Agong can also refuse to give his assent to any Bill passed by both the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara, if he finds that the Bill in question is unconstitutional.

Commentator Comments :

written by Ocassey, June 02, 2012 22:14:22
Ampun Tuanku,

The greater majority of the rakyat for the period since 1957 and after the formation of a greater
Malaya called Malaysia to date have been taken for a ride all these while and their minds and mentality have been replaced with the thoughts, wishes, schemes, assumptions and voices of the national leadership who continue to claim to that they are all in the interest of the well-beings of the rakyat in general . And any conflicting voices are only definitely from those who are trying to derail the good deeds and efforts of the government of the day with the intentions of trying to divide the rakyat ! The real culprits are none other than the ruling elites and all their cronies and government vehicles . The Education System have constantly been manipulated to deceive the voting rakyat with the major focus to undermine and stunt the progress of the younger generations and after more than 55 years at least three generations are glaringly now victims of a despotic government which will soon be upgraded to a police state on par to D.R. Korea ! Meanwhile the majority rakyat , voiceless and helpless , have been depending on the few political parties like Pas, DAP and PKR to defend their rights and amplify their voices which in the end will end up as usual to be bulldozed and neutralized by the bodies set up as vehicles of the government . Special NGOs and action groups set up specifically to vilify and demonize Pakatan Rakyat at the slightest sign of so-call dissent will face unending antagonizing disturbances and countless police reports to purposely keep such rakyat’s guardians endlessly going in and out of the courts to answer to police charges .

Where art thou , Majesties ,when the ordinary “majority” rakyat need you to protect them ? Rulers and the Monarch have forsaken the majority rakyat who consist of all races and religions . There was loud deafening silence from our kings when churches were touched , graves desecrated, cow-head paraded , pig head tossed into mosque and bodies popping off government building windows ? Where art thou when the defenseless rakyat marched in unison to your palace to hand you their petitions only to be halted , attacked, blasted with water-cannons ,tear-gassed and detained with all sorts of threats ,all in full view under the Malaysian skies ? You are the kings , and rakyat of all creeds and colors are your subjects . Every elected Adun and MP from all political parties including individual independent ones are clearly part of your government . We the rakyat have high expectation to be treated equally by our kings . 250,000 or more “Bersih” supporters peacefully walking to congregate at Dataran Merdeka cannot be misguided, erred , disruptive nor aggressive despite being cordoned off ,restricted ,intimidated by razor-blade wires and the police forces’ presence who had all the advantages of the upper hands of authority , weaponry and stealth tactics !

Ampun Tuanku .

+17
…
written by Loyal Malaysian, June 02, 2012 18:58:39
I believe we can use the unscrupulous and immoral power grab in Perak as a guideline as to what will happen in the scenario discussed!!

+9
…
written by upsidedown119, June 02, 2012 17:08:28
The grey area is the Agong’s opinion as to who commands the confidence of the majority in Parliament after the election. Remember the fiasco in Sabah when Pairin first won the state election? The point is whether his opinion is to be gauged objectively or subjectively? If subjectively, the Agong could appoint as PM an MP who does not have a majority immediately after the election but who have enough resources to subsequently ‘win’ over the confidence of the majority.

+4
…
written by bpchan, June 02, 2012 16:32:16
The King’s power…

What does power do, and Why? Who gave the power? Where the power came from where? What is power? can it be seen ? be touched?

Power is perception.

+7
…
written by Padayappa, June 02, 2012 15:45:53
Be careful what u say Kaneeneh, the Perak political crisis, downfall of Nizar goverment is actually part of monarchy hand play His function under constitution, not as ceremonial concept as you said. But up to situation.

+13
…
written by eloofk, June 02, 2012 15:39:13
Can the Agong not listen to the advice from a Prime Minister who has not obtained a mandate from the rakyat or if the Prime Minister is of dubious character, unfit to give sound advice for the benefit of a multi-relious and multi-racial society or if he is of unscrupulous hehaviour in his role as a minister or Prime MInister for that matter ???

+14
…
written by Kaneeneh, June 02, 2012 15:12:02

Monarchy, in whatever form, is ceremonial and an archaic concept. It drains a country’s resources to provide for the reign and is susceptible to wanton bribery for titles and connections.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

The Agong cannot fairly ignore UNHCR or Asabiya issues which are the basic rights of ALL Humanity. In either case the Agong’s authority is not more (and also no civilsed person can accept such unrighteous laws and constitutional articles) than the UN or HRC, both of which Malaysia is part of AND cannot fairly support apartheid in Malaysia’s laws nd Constitution.

Tacitly endorsing this by keeping silent all this time does no wonders for Malaysia’s reputation. Bumiputra Apartheid and any who support bumiputra apartheid, are a social drain and disenfranchising psychic blight on citizens. Neglect of a serious nation harming issue and meaningless immobility mistaken as pride at the expense of the citizens is not the ‘Malaysian’ way. UNHCR or Asabiya issues are universally accepted and may not be negotiated about – especially when the issue is centered around exploitative disenfranchisement and erosion of integrity of society’s different groups for the benefit of a single race or faith. As per Adat, a host is gracious and does not devour their guests. Do the Malays in India and China get treated like the Indians and Chinese in Malaysia? Civilisation and respect for humanity, not Asabiya . . .

ARTICLE 18

When the mouth moves faster than the brain – Thursday, 31 May 2012 Super Admin

I know that many readers of Malaysia Today are young Malaysians, probably born after Merdeka or around that time. This means you do not know what happened in the 1940s and 1950s and how a formula for peaceful coexistence was hammered out between the Malays and the non-Malays. Hence it is good we reflect on the history of our country. And if we can understand and honour the spirit of the Merdeka Social Contract, then a lot of conflict can be avoided.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

The ‘Social Contract’ is not a written document, said one-time Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. It is a verbal contract, explained Dr Mahathir. A verbal contract is not worth the paper it is written on, most lawyers would tell you (and I bet many Malaysia Today readers would not get the ‘punch line’ to this statement).

Anyway, verbal contracts are binding in certain situations. In Islam, a verbal contract is binding as long as there are witnesses of good standing (meaning, who have never been proven to have lied in the past) who can testify as to the existence of that verbal contract. Nevertheless, Islam encourages that all contacts be committed to paper to avoid possible disputes in future. After all, witness can lie or they might die.

Whatever it may be, does such a Social Contract exist? I am talking, of course, about the ‘contract’ between the Malays and the non-Malays when Merdeka was being negotiated with the British. Dr Mahathir says it is a verbal and not a written contract.

Okay, maybe there was no real ‘signing ceremony’, if that is what Dr Mahathir meant. I mean, when we launched ‘The People’s Declaration’ at the Blog House in the run-up to the March 2008 General Election, it was done in a proper and official ceremony. Six political parties including PKR, DAP and PAS turned up to ‘sign’ the Declaration. And each of the six party representatives gave speeches, not only to endorse ‘The People’s Declaration’ but also promising that if they won the election they would deliver on their promises.

Nevertheless, that was more than four years ago. And although these six political parties, three of them now in the Pakatan Rakyat coalition, did not win the federal government, Pakatan Rakyat did win five state governments, now down to four. But they do not want to fulfil their promise made pre-March 2008 in front of more than 100 people in the ceremony to launch ‘The People’s Declaration’.

In fact, I raised this matter with Anwar Ibrahim, Tian Chua and Tunku Aziz Ibrahim when they came to the UK on 2nd October 2010. You can see the three videos below. Then, not long after that, Anwar went to Australia and whacked me for what I said in London.

Is Anwar saying that we, the members of the civil society movements, do not have a ‘Social Contract’ with the six political parties not from the Barisan Nasional coalition? Of course we do. And it is more than just a verbal contract that Dr Mahathir is talking about.

So, a short while later, also in 2010, when we launched the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM), why such hostility? Why declare the MCLM as the enemy of Pakatan Rakyat? And now that you have declared us the enemy and we act like an enemy you are not happy about it. Was it we or was it you who declared war?

Anyway, that is not what I really want to talk about. As usual, I am just digressing. What I want to talk about is the Merdeka Social Contract, the so-called verbal contract that is the brunt of so much conflict and racial posturing.

Actually, it is not a verbal contract. It is a written contract. And it is written in the Federal Constitution of Malaysia. Hence Dr Mahathir, Ibrahim Ali, etc., are all wrong. Those born in Malaysia are Malaysians. They are not Chinese, Indians, pendatang, immigrants, or whatever. That was the agreed terms of the Merdeka Social Contract, which is part of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia.

It is wrong to refer to non-Malays as pendatang or immigrants. It is also wrong to treat them as such. They are as Malaysian as any other person born in Malaysia. No two ways about it.

Okay, and what else is in that Merdeka Social Contract? Well, one thing was that the Straits Settlements, the Federated Malay States and the Unfederated Malay States would no longer exist and they would all be merged into the Federation of Malaya or Persekutuan Tanah Melayu (later renamed the Federation of Malaysia).

In that same spirit, the institution of the Monarchy would be retained but the Rulers would be reduced from Absolute Monarchs to Constitutional Monarchs and governance would be transferred from the Palace to the elected/appointed Houses (Parliament and Senate) and the State Assemblies.

Furthermore, Islam would be the religion of the Federation and Malay would be the National Language. And in some states, mainly those with Rulers and not Governors, only a Malay/Muslim can be appointed the Menteri Besar.

Yes, that was the ‘Contract’ made between the Malays and the non-Malays in the run-up to Merdeka. And, in exchange for that, all non-Malays born in India, China, etc., would be given citizenship while those born in Malaya after Merdeka would get automatic citizenship. They would not be classified as foreigners or need to apply for citizenship.

And that is why, today, all of you who are not Malays are Malaysians and not Chinese, Indian, etc., nationals — unless you wish to give up your Malaysian citizenship and migrate. That is you right — to automatic citizenship. And no one can take away that right, not even Ibrahim Ali or Perkasa, because that was the Merdeka Social Contract that the Malays and non-Malays agreed on.

However, just as your citizenship cannot be taken away, as per the terms of the Merdeka Social Contract, you too must honour the other terms of that Contract. And those terms are, other than Islam being the religion of the Federation and Malay being the National Language, is that Malaysia would retain a Constitutional Monarchy. That was agreed in the Merdeka Social Contract.

Hence it is imprudent for you to question whether Malaysia should just abolish the Monarchy and change into a Republic (or question Islam as the religion of the Federation or Malay as the National Language). Doing so would mean you want to terminate the Merdeka Social Contract. And terminating the Merdeka Social Contract is dangerous because those who are not Malays would not receive automatic Malaysian citizenship.

I would vote in favour of retaining the Merdeka Social Contract. That would create lesser problems for all of us. Then Ibrahim Ali and Perkasa cannot demand that anyone’s citizenship be withdrawn. Your citizenship would be your right. Without the Merdeka Social Contract you would not be protected and would not automatically be granted Malaysian citizenship.

However, this would also mean we should not demand that Islam be removed as the religion of the Federation or Malay as the National Language. We cannot also demand that the Monarchy be abolished and for Malaysia to be turned into a Republic. That would be seditious, just as seditious as asking for Malaysian-born Chinese and Indians to be sent back to China and/or India.

I know that many readers of Malaysia Today are young Malaysians, probably born after Merdeka or around that time. This means you do not know what happened in the 1940s and 1950s and how a formula for peaceful coexistence was hammered out between the Malays and the non-Malays. Hence it is good we reflect on the history of our country. And if we can understand and honour the spirit of the Merdeka Social Contract, then a lot of conflict can be avoided.

So let us not allow a minor thing such as a car registration number spoil everything. Was His Highness the Sultan of Johor acting out of conduct (misconduct) when he tendered for ‘WWW 1’? Was there an element of fraud or corruption? Has there been fair play in His Highness winning the bid?

Do we question a Chinese towkay who wants to pay an exorbitant sum of money for a number ‘8’? What if Chua Soi Lek pays RM500,000 for ‘CSL 1’ to put on his car? Would we demand that Parliament be abolished because a Member of Parliament wasted RM500,000 of his own money on a car registration number?

Yes, I know, Raja Petra Kamarudin is saying all this because he is from the royal family so he wants to defend the Sultan, some of you are going to comment. So what if I want to defend the Sultans when they are right? Have I not whacked the Sultans many times when they are wrong? Have I not whacked the Perak Sultan for toppling the Pakatan Rakyat state government until my own family disowned me?

I have paid my dues. Hence I have earned my right to defend the Sultans when they do nothing wrong because I have whacked them when they are wrong. In that same spirit, if you can spend some time to view the three videos below, you can also see that I have earned the right to whack Pakatan Rakyat for not delivering on its promises.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

i) This means you do not know what happened in the 1940s and 1950s and how a formula for peaceful coexistence was hammered out between the Malays and the non-Malays.

BUMIPUTRA APARTHEID **IS NOT** a formula for peaceful coexistence. There is a differnce between those who rioted and killed, the descendants of those who rioted AND those who did not riot as well as the descendants of those who did not riot at all. There is no such thing as Malays and non-Malays, therer is only the citizen who rioted or killed and the citizen who did not. Thos who did not WILL NEVER ACCEPT APARTHEID because they had nothing to do with the race riots. Recommend that ALL (but not even their descendants can be fairly targeted though perhaps just the immediate generation after – i.e. Lim Kit Siang being of that generation and participated and even revelled in the violence and child Lim Guan Eng (nepotist beneficiary without quorum CM) would be subject to Bumiputra Apartheid but the next generation of these Lims would not) who did not take part in the violence are not to be subject to BUMIPUTRA APARTHEID and that even the Malays who took part in the riots be stripped of their bumiputra status. Everyone else who did not raise a fist or weapon against the government or in general Malays (much less Islam – which incidentally is not even Malaysia’s native faith of Nusantaran Animism), demands as per the UNHCR Article 1 and the Asabiya Prohibition in the Quran – NOT be subject to apartheid.

ii) Do we question a Chinese towkay who wants to pay an exorbitant sum of money for a number ‘8’?

A Chinese towkay is not a ruler or symbol of the country. So nothing to bother about. Exceptionalism is expected of rulers, NOT plutocrat towkays that is why there were no criticisms. People expect nothing from towkays. But rulers are for everyone.

iii) . . . because that was the Merdeka Social Contract that the Malays and non-Malays agreed on. . . .

That included the Reid Commission’s recommendation that Malay Special Privileges were only supposed to last for 15 years after which they were to [otentially end after a review. Near 4 times that period has paseed, and the Malays have reneged on their side of the agreement which was to REVIEW after 15 years. So the Merdeka Social Contract is BROKEN and Malaysia’s signatory status of the Human Rights Charter signatory means Special Privileges contravene Article 1 of the HRC. On top of that Islam’s ‘Official Status’ means the Sin of Asabiya cannot be allowed by the politicians or any Muslim, which obviously included the rulers who likely come under the purview of Sunnite Islam’s highest authority at the Al Azhar University at Cairo. THERE IS NO CASE FOR BUMIPUTRA APARTHEID!

iv) I would vote in favour of retaining the Merdeka Social Contract. That would create lesser problems for all of us. Then Ibrahim Ali and Perkasa cannot demand that anyone’s citizenship be withdrawn. Your citizenship would be your right.

With the facts above, ANY Malays who votes in favour of retaining the so-called Merdeka Social Contract is a potential crypto-racist and potential war criminal capable of carrying out or even quietly assenting of what happened at Nazi Auswictz.

v) Without the Merdeka Social Contract you would not be protected and would not automatically be granted Malaysian citizenship.

ONLY if the review as per the Reid Commission, which the writer has selectively neglected to mention, is brought into consideration. The so-called ‘Merdeka Social Contract’ precludes the Reid Commission’s recommendations that the writer has again neglected to mention or put in historical context with. I strongly believe that Raja Petra Kamarudin is a crypto-racist posing as a refugee from the Malay Court. Very disappointing Raja Petra Kamarudin! Not a very Raja minded mindset you are exposing there by promoting a skewed version of history and inirectly apartheid as well. Thus falls another strawman of the UMNO racist (majority?) faction. At times like these PAS seems honest enough, at least they spew what they want to allow others to reject them, not lie, twist and turn and corrupt the minds of Malays with Asabiya and selective amnesia like this.

Malaysia is less than 1% of the Earths surface, no false flag drivel of any personae will make the greatest of nations of this and all future day accept a country that does not have :

The lowest common denominator posing as an intellectual. The title Raja (Indian origin btw) is shamed, and the name Petra shames the great city of the Middle East, with Kamaruddin, is not even a Malay name to begin with. How many Malays remember their REAL names? And with the half-blood issues considered as well compounding the terrible wrongs promulgated above in the guise of studied politics, what we have here is a non-entity of personality in all spheres. If this paragraph offends someone who ‘ran away’ from Malaysia, do tell, I will remove . . . not so cool now? Thats for throwing 3rd world politics about in a world that will never accept BUMIPUTRA APARTHEID, via the pretense of the ‘so-called’ Merdeka Social Contract. Go away, put of touch racist old man. The citizens of today are no longer interested in racist diatribe, only beneficiaries with access would want to keep the ‘so-called’ Merdeka Social Contract that has kept even ordinary Malays from accessing wealth due them.

Finally Islam as official religion or any religion as official worldwide is just hot air. Unless a theocracy is intended, just leave religion alone to free choice. Saying a religion is official and then not having theocratic powers means there is no point making the religion official. Conversely, theorcacy if applied is just plain abuse of humanity or social freedoms. Citizens on an individual by individual basis could instead assent to being governed by any theocratic laws, official or not is a moot point.

ARTICLE 19

Blaming Dr Mahathir again – FROM AROUND THE BLOGS – Tuesday, 29 May 2012 Super Admin – by KTEMOC KONSIDERS

Most of us like to blame Dr Mahathir wakakaka. Well, here’s another item for you to blame him 😉

Were you aware that Azmin Ali was brought up by the Mahathir family – not the Doctor himself but I heard by his (Dr M’s) sister or aunt (can anyone help me here?).

So when Azmin reached working age, guess who recommended him for employment? Of course Uncle Mahathir!

And guess who Uncle Mahathir asked to employ Azmin Ali?

Wakakaka!

Yup, his deputy and then DPM manmanlai wakakaka!

Dr M would have said: “Anwar matey (wakakaka), ni Azmin, see if you can find him a job!”

And as they say, the rest is history.

But why should we blame Dr M for bringing these two inseparables together?

When I read RPK’s MACC ‘Deep Throat’ comes out of the closet I knew the MMM (know what M-cube stands for? wakakaka) would deny the revelation or give all sorts of excuses or accuse RPK of being an UMNO paid mole – yes, the very same MMM who would praise Yang Mulia RPK (wakakaka) for his amazing courage, assets and resources had he exposed instead Najib or Shahrizat or Mahathir’s corruption wakakaka.

But then, consolation prize, wouldn’t it be considered Dr M’s fault for bringing the two together as an inseparable pair? wakakaka. Go on, blame the old man wakakaka.

RPK also wrote:

One interesting document in that file is regarding the RM15,000 a month that Vincent Tan was paying Azmin Ali. It seems Vincent Tan not only financed the fall of Perak but is also financing the ‘other side’ as well. And, according to my ex-MACC Deep Throat, this is still going on. I suppose that is what most Chinese tycoons would do: hedge your bets by placing your money on all the horses in the race.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Tasty! Now lets hope one of the propaganda spinners makes a fluff piece out of this. Kutty and the Jambu (no prizes for guessing if ‘Dr’ gets thrown out of UMNO somehow – guess who the pairing would involve (some of us are LGBT supportive but this disgusts the hell out of me, well some connoisseur of Malay political gossip should be able to take up the challenge) . . . . Imagine the scandal . . . Anwar Sodomy Trial 3.0! In fact we dare UMNO (though UMNO is hated for racism and corruption, this should be quite a challenge to spin . . . ) to match every Bersih with a Sodomy trial (just gave Ambiga a chance to make lots of cash . . . )! Best of all, who knows this could lead to greater democracy for the Muslims interested in these issues . . .

Raja Nong Chik’s response to the “Night of Bloodshed in Lembah Pantai” reveals an attempt to distract and distort the facts of the incident.

The fact is that violence did take place which caused injuries to an elderly man and a young girl, both who rightly should be respected and protected by society. Unfortunately, it was not only an attack on innocent citizens but also an attack on democracy.

Firstly, the violence that occurred was fostered through the Lembah Pantai Umno-created climate of intimidation and political thuggery, clearly seen by several incidences on the night and prior to it as well. (In the cases of 1. Pekida protest at Masjid al-Ikhlasiah, Pantai Dalam; 2. the punching of Adam Adli at Flat PKNS 4 Tingkat Kampung Kerinchi by known Lembah Pantai Umn members; 3. TIBAI-Umno-organised ceramahs such as the one in Kampung Kerinchi recently.)

Secondly, the feeble attempt to distract the public’s attention by speculating and blaming KEADILAN for inviting outsiders to what he claims is local politics is demeaning to democracy and a disservice to the people of Lembah Pantai.

As the member of Parliament for Lembah Pantai I have always welcomed a long list of national leaders such as Najib Razak, Muhyiddin Yassin, Daim Zainuddin and other Cabinet ministers who have graced Lembah Pantai over the past few months. I do not see this as Umno inviting outsiders into local politics but rather as a recognition that KEADILAN is doing something right to deserve such attention.

Furthermore, the disproportionate attention and funds lavished on Lembah Pantai compared to other Kuala Lumpur constituencies by Raja Nong Chik as Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister, along with an unelected mayor, is proof that the government needs to work doubly hard when the majority of support in Kuala Lumpur is with Pakatan Rakyat.

Thirdly, with regards to the claim that there is lack of proof of those responsible, I invite Raja Nong Chik to jointly declare with me to condemn all forms of political violence and to jointly invite both the police and Suhakam to investigate fairly on this Thursday.

Finally, in the spirit of setting a healthy democratic example and to demonstrate that political violence is unacceptable, I wish to once again reaffirm my acceptance of Raja Nong Chik’s invitation to a public debate in two weeks’ time at the same location, Pantai Permai. I shall be there and wait for him to translate words into deeds as he appears to believe that all politics is local.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Family blocs in politics is a form of political violence far worse and more subversive and corrupting than physical violence. Nurul was saying? Some people think that the voters are only stupid enough to understand PHYSICAL VIOLENCE and not POLITICAL VIOLENCE, the most violent thing in politics in fact is the term limitless fanily bloc that GROWS and subsumes the entire political scene to the demise of democracy. Nurul has not spoken or directly endorsed :

KUALA LUMPUR — Pakatan Rakyat has proposed a radical policy shift from attaining the 30 per cent equity target for bumiputeras to a minimum household income of RM4,000 for each family, says Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

In a statement on Wednesday, he claimed that the 30 per cent equity target policy had been hijacked by cronies and special interests to enrich themselves at the expense of the general public.

He also claimed that the disparity between rich and poor had widened significantly as a result of abuses done in the name of achieving the 30 per cent equity target.

;but is very close though without fine tuned details like Vehicular-AP, Forced Conscriptions and Toll Booths and amendment of some laws. The Opposition still has meaning then, but like so many flashes on the pan to divert and strawman so far, we’ll see where this No.1 issue heads in a month or so. Very rare to hear about end of the apartheid system but better than none at all. Could some UN types advise Anwar on the Human Rights Article 1 aspect of governance? Otherwise 3rd Force only.

An aerial view of Pulau Rawa. — malaysia-islands.com pic
KUALA LUMPUR, May 9 — Four Singapore-based expatriates have alleged that they were attacked by bodyguards of a Malaysian royal family while on holiday at a Johor island.

Singapore’s The Straits Times reported today that the men were “brutally assaulted” within hours of arriving at Alang’s Rawa resort on Pulau Rawa, the second attack in seven years on the island with alleged links to Malaysian royalty.

According to the daily, the attack at the resort island off Mersing left a 28-year-old British man covered with injuries and his German friend in intensive care with bleeding in his brain.

“They grabbed my arm, surrounded me, and kicked me in my genitalia to disable me first, then the onslaught just happened,” the man, who spoke on condition of anonymity, was quoted as saying by The Straits Times.

The holidaymaker said he and his three friends, all in their 20s, were having dinner on Friday night when the Malaysian VIP arrived with “a lot of security” and “they started playing hip-hop music.”

According to the newspaper, the two victims were invited over for drinks including shots of tequila with the VIP, also in his 20s, and his cousin.

“He was friendly all along and showed no hostility at all. My friend was in mid-conversation with the VIP and his cousin when this aggressive-looking guy just slapped him out of nowhere.

“I don’t know what the nature of the conversation was, I was at the other end of the table, but there was something that was said that wasn’t ‘correct’,” he said.

According to the Brit, the German was followed to the bathroom by the bodyguards.

“I went to see what was going on, but got pushed out of the bathroom. I don’t know what happened in there, but he ran out like a bullet… through the bar and out onto the beach then into the forested area, and they chased him down,” he said.

He added that the remaining men then turned on him before he dashed into the sea, swimming back to shore only after the attackers had left.

He said he then returned to his room and alerted his other friends, but the attackers had caught up with the German man on another part of the island.

According to the newspaper, the group were asked to leave the island the next morning but not before they had settled their bills for the drinks and lodging.

“We were warned by a European lady working there that it was no longer safe. A boat was arranged for us in 10 minutes and we just left,” the Brit said.

The Straits Times also reported that although Alang’s Rawa confirmed that the victim and his friends were guests there, operations manager Fairus Ahmad denied the account, as did the manager of Rawa Safaris, the only other resort on the island.

“We have checked with all staff and management and they have confirmed that they do not know of any incident either,” Fairus was quoted as saying.

The newspaper reported that back in Singapore, the German man was placed in intensive care with bleeding in his brain and was moved to a normal ward yesterday.

In 2005, a group of six men, allegedly including a Johor prince, gate-crashed a Brazilian couple’s wedding at Pulau Rawa and attacked wedding guests with golf clubs and sharp objects.

Police detained four men, including a member of the Johor royal family in his 20s, but freed all of them on bail a few days later.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

‘ . . . but he ran out like a bullet… through the bar and out onto the beach then into the forested area, and they chased him down,” he said.’

Neurotech recording or neurotech manipulation which was detected possibly caused the offense. The Royals are abit of MI6 as well, and would seem to be versed in Neurotech or even Spiritual techniques most Western upper echelon spies appear to be training in. The German and Brits were spies probably innocuously posing as tourists. The ‘brain injuries’ were not incidental and would indicate this ‘Mind Combat’ situation where the presence of ‘weapons’ (of the mind) in presence of the rulers was retaliated against. Know why the running out to the forest occurred? Perhaps to dispose of neurotech or allow (if spiritual) the ‘attacking spirit’ to escape. Conversely the entire incident was a sandiwara to snare interested conspiracy theorists or occultists into sending their thoughts in the direction of the conspirators who cooked up a story. 3 versions! Whichever is true will be applicable.

Is one describing Burma? Or Zimbabwe? No, this is Malaysia in July 2011, in its 54th year of independence. Has paranoia gripped the decision-making elite in Kuala Lumpur?

But for its grave repercussions, one would have to laugh at the disproportionate overreaction and incompetence of government agencies in recent weeks. Has Malaysia become a police state, with no place for the rule of law? So what is the problem that has attracted the ugly, heavy hand of the executive.

It is only a call by ordinary voices for electoral reform so that future elections are conducted freely and fairly, that is, on a level playing field, with no political party or candidate having an in-built advantage over its rival parties and candidates, very much, like all runners in a 100 metre race starting at the same point with the same distance to run.

Is that not a laudable objective that should receive the support of everyone who truly believes in the democratic process?

When Malaya achieved Merdeka in 1957, it chose the parliamentary democracy style of government under a constitutional monarchy, with the Federal Constitution as the supreme law.

In order to elect a government, general elections are to be held at least one in every five years under the supervision of what was intended to be an independent, impartial Elections Commission to act as a neutral referee or umpire in electoral contests.

In the actual conduct of general and by-elections since 1957, the Election Commission has failed. The actions of governmental agencies such as widespread gerrymandering of constituencies, the domination by one political party of television, radio and print media, a brief campaign period of between 7 to 10 days, the granting of gifts, money and other benefits to voters, have resulted in the ruling coalition having a tremendously unfair advantage whenever elections are held.

It is against this background that BERSIH, a coalition of organisations interested in electoral reform, announced its decision to organise a peaceful march in the streets of Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, July 9, 2011 to call public attention to the ills of the electoral system, and to present a memorandum to the Agong.

Is the Government seriously contending that as a sovereign nation which has enjoyed over five decades of independence, Malaysia cannot tolerate or survive the exercise by thousands of its citizens of their entrenched fundamental liberties of free speech, assembly and association on a Saturday afternoon!

It must be recalled that in the 12-year sunset period of British imperialism over Malaya from 1945 to 1957, the British colonial rulers permitted the holding of public rallies which were brilliantly exploited, first by UMNO in 1946 in leading the opposition to the Malayan Union proposal, and subsequently by the Alliance coalition from 1954 to 1957 in its campaign for Merdeka.

Bearing in mind that those rallies, marches, demonstrations and assemblies were held during the Emergency declared to fight the Communist insurrection, and would result in the ending of colonial rule, the British Government did not ban such rallies, even if it was in its self-interest to do so.

For Merdeka to be meaningful, surely every Malaysian must enjoy greater and better rights in independent Malaysia in 2011 than his or her forefather enjoyed under colonial rule in 1946!

Demonising BERSIH and its outstanding leader of courage and conviction, Ambiga Sreenevasan brings great discredit to the government. It smacks of a witch hunt, McCarthy style.

For the Prime Minister to describe Ambiga Sreenevasan as being anti-Islam shows his true commitment to his own 1Malaysia philosophy – it is just window-dressing!!

I know of no law in Malaysia which prohibits a person from wearing yellow clothes. Thus, there is no Colours Act or Clothes Act under our law which empowers the police from arresting persons because of the choice of garment colour. Even totalitarian North Korea does not act in such a high-handed, mean and petty way.

When the streets of Kuala Lumpur are no longer safe with the massive increase of crime, and an apparent breakdown of law and order, the Police are allocating their resources to preventing ordinary law-abiding Malaysians from exercising their constitutional rights of free speech, assembly and association.

Compounding its mishandling of the entire situation was the abdication by the elected Government of resolving the problem, apart from a crude outright ban against BERSIH.

For His Majesty, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, as constitutional monarch, to enter the political fray – probably unprecedented in 54 years – is an indictment of poor governance by the Najib administration. The Prime Minister is elected to lead – what has been displayed hitherto has been dithering leadership reminiscent of the Badawi administration.

The fascist elements of the state, whose main aim in life seems to be to protect and serve the interests of the ruling party, must be reminded that Malaysia does not belong to the Prime Minister.

Neither does the nation belong to the political party that happened to win the most seats in the last Parliamentary election in March 2008 thereby forming the government of the day.

Just as the electorate gave it a mandate to rule temporarily, it can withdraw that mandate at the next general elections which must, by law, be called by mid-2013. No political party has a divine right to rule continuously. Malaysia, on the contrary, belongs to the people, whose interests may often not coincide with that of the ruling party.

Not allowing the people of Malaysia to express their opinion on a matter of vital public interest, viz, the electoral system, by assembling peacefully in Kuala Lumpur is wholly unacceptable. It is neither right nor proper.

The behavior of our leaders indicate that they are desperate to hold on to power by all means, and every measure must be taken by the state to prevent what they perceive as a threat to their own position.

It is an iron law of history that besieged, desperate leaders who believe they are indispensible or identify themselves with their countries ultimately lose power : it is always only a matter of time.

I urge my fellow Malaysians to attend the rally on Saturday in droves, and to behave in a peaceful, civilised manner with a single-minded focus on calling for a reform of the badly marred electoral system so structured in favour of one party.

Malaysians must, with pride and dignity, exercise their fundamental rights of free speech, association and assembly on 9th July 2011 so that the executive branch of government can be shown to have totally underestimated the good sense of the people.

The shameful conduct of Malaysian politicians and bureaucrats in the past weeks must be wiped clean by the actions of the citizenry on Saturday. See you there.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

If Tommy Thomas is ready to head a Malaysian Delegation to UN and NAM or BRICs as well for the below 3 items :

We should vote for Tommy Thomas under a 66.6% quorum for CM as an independent candidate in Penang’s most important constituency at once (with an intent to modify the Malaysian constitution to allow a True Democracy form one-man-one-vote system as to the PM, DPM’s, EXCO, MP and Assemblymen posts similar to the USA’s Presidential vote.

CM Lim Guan Eng is too much of a CEO wannabe that joined politics for profit (evidenced by the 750K funeral request from BN – of all people) on the back of an undemocratic, term limitless and nepotistic, also abusive DAP political culture, doubtless afflicted by PAP affiliation, and only is CM by virtue of cult of personality father Lim Kit Siang. A detestably undemocratic and 3rd world-like situation not much better than BN’s similar situations.

Tommy Thomas, ready to be CM of Penang? We need EDUCATED people in politics not ‘Daddy-Anak’ b.s. in too much of the Dewan.

ARTICLE 3

The truth about migrants in Malaysia: AND IT’S NOT PRETTY! – by Director Irene Fernandez – Wednesday, 09 May 2012 21:47

“Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world..”: that is the first sentence in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

As a member of the United Nations, Malaysia has proclaimed to hold this Declaration to the highest standards, to protect & promote respect for these rights and freedoms, and to actively secure effective recognition of these rights for all persons. “Inherent, universal, inalienable rights” applies, of course, to migrant workers too. It applies to all 2.6 million migrant workers in Malaysia. This is a basic premise that we call on the Malaysian government to accept. Should they not, we ask them, as members of the international community, to explain why.

These discussions of fundamental rights and dignity of all persons, all workers, including all migrant workers must be had openly, frankly and publicly in Malaysia. Tenaganita, has consistently and loudly voiced deep concerns over the inherent and critical problems in the system of recruitment and employment of migrant workers in Malaysia, and of many aspects of Malaysia’s immigration policies that are in harsh violation of fundamental rights and that restricts access to justice. The tragedy is that we have raised these issues (backed by civil society and unions, nationally and internationally) for the past 2 decades, without seeing much in the way of the Malaysian government actively making significant changes to the system in order to protect the rights of migrant workers. The State has unfortunately found it more useful to attack the news-bearer. Does shooting the messenger change the facts on the ground?

Fact: Approximately one out of three workers in Malaysia is a migrant worker. Labour policies therefore have wide reaching consequences on the rights of workers in Malaysia where a significant number of workers are open to exploitation, abuse and violence reflecting modern day forms of slavery.

Fact: Two countries within ASEAN, Indonesia and Cambodia, have frozen the recruitment and placement of domestic workers from their country to Malaysia.

It is understood that that is in response to numerous reports of serious rights abuses against domestic workers here in Malaysia. The Malaysian government, however, remains numb to action, and has not brought about any form of comprehensive legal mechanism to actively protect and promote the rights of domestic workers (who also have inalienable rights). When the majority of countries at the International Labour Organisation (of which Malaysia is a member to) voted in resounding support for the Domestic Workers Convention (known as ILO Convention 189) Malaysia abstained (despite having over 200, 000 domestic workers currently in the country and active plans to recruit more). Is this a reflection of the State’s position that it does not want to recognize nor actively protect the fundamental rights of domestic workers?

Fact: In the latest Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Malaysia and Indonesia on domestic workers, there are escape clauses built in that once more place the domestic worker in a vulnerable state.

The Malaysian government did agree to a separate bank account for domestic workers, one-day off a week, and for passports to be kept with the worker herself. There are, however, follow up clauses which state that the one-day off can be converted into “overtime” and passports can be kept for ”safe keeping” by the employer. It is like the right hand gives and the left hand takes it away. The rights to rest and to hold one’s passport disappears. Article 24 of the UDHR states “everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay”. Why is there resistance on the part of the Malaysian government to not do everything in its power to ensure that the full enjoyment of those rights for domestic workers as spelled out in Article 24 are protected and promoted?

Fact: Four years ago, Tenaganita and the Malaysian Bar, along with several other members of civil society, submitted a memorandum to the Malaysian government which consisted of a comprehensive policy on the recruitment, placement and employment of and model contract for migrant workers in Malaysia.

The comprehensive policy would be the basic framework for the development of laws and mechanisms to actively protect and promote the rights of migrant workers in the country. This open and direct call for this policy was made to the State in recognition of the widespread and serious human rights violations against migrants in Malaysia. Four years later, the Malaysian government has still yet to respond to this call from civil society and the Malaysian Bar.

We have instead seen increased measures to institutionalize practices that have crippled the rights and dignity of migrants. One such example is the amendments made to the Employment Act in December 2011 to also define “outsourcing companies” and “labour contractors” as “employers”. Outsourcing companies and labour contractors have been key factors in the trafficking of persons for labour in Malaysia, a fact that the State is aware of. The State also pushed through this amendment in spite of strong protests from Unions and civil society. This is a classic case of failed governance to address human trafficking and to protect the human rights of workers.

Fact: In 2011, Tenaganita handled the cases of 453 migrants in Malaysia, who were predominantly victims of labour trafficking, including migrant workers, refugees and domestic workers. The top key violations were: unpaid wages; arrest, detention & deportation; denial of days of rest; overtime wages not paid; absence of a contract signed between the employer and the employee.

These forms of violations reflect both the abuse of labour rights and the state of ‘forced labour’ that these migrants were in while in Malaysia. These forms of violations are also not random acts by abusive employers. The non-recognition of domestic workers in the Employment Act, the widespread abuses by outsourcing companies, the non-recognition of the rights of refugees to work, the denial of undocumented workers to access redress (regardless of how they became undocumented), the sluggish actions by the State to actively prevent human trafficking, abuse, violence – all these realities converge in a hot, bubbling cauldron of human rights abuses that migrants are thrown into.

Dismissing these cases as ‘isolated incidences’ does not change the reality. A State that proclaims to respect human rights would understand that these cases warrant urgent and immediate actions to address the laws, policies and practices by the State that create an environment for these cases.

Fact: Migrants access to redress and justice is debilitated under existing legislation and practices by the State where the right to stay and the right to work have been denied.

Firstly, in order to remain legally in Malaysia, migrant workers are required to have valid passports and work permits. The Immigration Act, however, gives full power to the “employer” to obtain, renew and cancel the work permit, while punishing the migrant for any violations of the work permit. This is clearly problematic when migrants seek to take cases against their employers, as their employers can (and commonly do) react by cancelling the work permit thereby rendering the migrant ‘undocumented’ and subject to arrest, detention, whipping (if they are male) and deportation.

The Immigration Act does have an allowance for workers to apply for a ‘special pass’, at the cost of RM100 per month, and it can only be renewed three times. If the case is not resolved within these 3 months, the migrant worker must return home.

Tenaganita’s experience during the past 15 years shows that due process takes more than 6 months, sometimes up to 6 years before a case is resolved. While the case is being investigated and brought to court for hearings, the worker is not allowed to work. The policy framework thus denies the worker’s right to stay to get redress and denies the worker’s right to work to support him/herself (and pay for the special pass) while the case is in court. On the other hand, Malaysian workers can continue to work while waiting for a resolution to their complaint (as rightly so). Such a policy thus not only denies the migrant worker due process but it is also discriminatory against migrants.

Furthermore, responses by enforcement departments to migrant cases filed with them are more often than not poor. Tenaganita files a police report in all cases that involves the withholding of passports of the workers by employers. This is done because the withholding of the passport belonging to someone else is a serious offence under the Passport Act and without their passport, the migrant worker faces threats to their security in the form of arrest, detention, whipping and deportation. Without their passports, and facing these very real threats, migrants find it extremely difficult to leave their employers and seek justice. In many instances, this puts the migrant in a state of forced labour. Despite the seriousness of this, the police, however, do not act on these police reports. In some instances, they have told the migrants to “file complains in the Small Claims Tribunal”. This lackadaisical attitude by enforcement officers towards the human security of migrants and the acceptance of this criminal act by employers should not be taken lightly by any quarters of the State.

Fact: Domestic workers defined as domestic servants meanwhile cannot seek redress for violation of rights except to claim for unpaid wages under the Employment Act simply because their rights are not recognized in the Act. The First Schedule of the Employment Act, under Employee (5) states “ he is engaged as a ‘domestic servant’ – provisions section 12, 14, 16, 22, 61 and 64 and Parts IX, XII and XIIA are not applicable”. The Minister has the powers to withdraw these exclusions and bring about equal treatment to domestic workers without making reforms to the Employment Act.

Why has the Minister of Human Resources not made the decisions to repeal the clause in the First Schedule, even when doing so would keep with the State’s commitments to respect, promote and defend the rights spelled out in the UDHR, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination (CEDAW) and especially in General Recommendation 26 of CEDAW?

The above policies and practices by the State therefore increases the risk of human rights abuses against migrants, inhibits the migrants access to justice and allows employers of migrant workers to act with impunity.

Fact: When the registration into the biometric system through the 6P programme ended on August 31, 2011, the Minister of Home Affairs announced that 2.6 million migrant workers had come forward and registered. Out of this figure, half of this population (1.3 million workers) were undocumented.

In spite of the overwhelming response by undocumented workers to legalise their status, when the 6P ended on April 10, 2012, the Home Ministry revealed that by February of 2012, 94, 856 workers had opted to return home while about 300,000 had applied for work permits. Our question is: what has happened to the almost 1 million undocumented migrants who had registered and wanted to be legalized? Have the 340 government-approved agents submitted the applications or have the workers been cheated? We want answers from the Home Minister.

Malaysia as a member of ASEAN, has put the spanner in the works and derailed the development of the action plan on migrant workers because it has not accepted the term “migrant workers”. The term ‘migrant workers’ should not be controversial or disputed; it is globally recognized and defined in the UN and ILO Conventions.

This petty objection is symptomatic of a larger, more critical problem in Malaysia: the refusal of the State to recognize neither the basic rights of undocumented workers nor the rights of families of migrant workers. While these rights are defined in the UDHR, the Convention to End All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), all of which Malaysia is a party to, it is critical that these rights are explicitly spelled out in regards to migrant workers so as to ensure more effective protection. Malaysia however continues to be the stumbling block to the development of an effective action plan for the promotion and protection of rights of mobile populations within ASEAN.

The challenge to this government and the political leadership is to not be arrogant but redeem itself with humility to the feedback from us, from civil society, from unions, from governments of source countries and from international institutions to ensure that we, as a nation, reach global standards in the protection of rights. We call on the Malaysian government to respond openly to this challenge.

We call on the Malaysian government, as members of the ILO, to begin this positive response by signing onto (and implementing) the various conventions that ensure decent work and decent wages for all workers, both migrant and Malaysian.

Today, in the 21st century, Malaysia has created an underclass of workers called migrant workers who are open to extreme forms of exploitation that reflects modern day slavery. Will the Malaysian government work with us to stop us from hurtling further in this direction, and collaboratively create an environment that respects, protects, promotes and defends the rights and dignity of all workers, including migrant workers?

Dr Irene Fernandez is the Executive Director of Tenaganita

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

BERSIH is bad enough, and here we have Tenaganita which is a watered down BERSIH IMHO equally useless where at least BERSIH had capacity for violence (though violence should be a last resort thing – i.e. if Ambiga was dying in prison and the protestors wanted to save Ambiga then would some kind of riot be appropriate . . . ). What useless platitudes Irene spouts! Talking about migrants when normal citizens are suffering apartheid and disenfranchisement?

Is Irene from APARTHEID IGNORING Pakatan, or fronting for RACIST BN when NORMAL citizens do not even have :

File lawsuits against all racists or political parties non-compliant with the Human Rights Charter or use the below response to ‘Article 9’ to remove the racist MPs from government.

Otherwise disband Tenaganita or give up that Executive Director’s post. Neither Executing nor Directing. Don’t you dare ignore APARTHEID against the minorities while going all nice and fuzzy on MIGRANTS.

We are a nation divided as all laws and constitution stands, and Irene talks about migrants! File that lawsuit already!

I’ll tell you and everyone what TRULY is not pretty – CMs of Penang, Executive Directors of Tenaganitas, and Leaders of BERSIHs IGNORING APARTHEID and talking about migrants or rioting or sending ‘pork to Muslims instead . . . File that lawsuit at UN, NAM, BRICS or the International Criminal Court at Hague to end APARTHEID in Malaysia already!

KUALA LUMPUR, May 9 — A number of non-governmental organisations and political parties today slammed Tenaganita executive director Irene Fernandez for tarnishing Malaysia’s image through the Indonesian media.

They also called on the government and police to take stern action against Fernandez including closing Tenaganita, as it could continue to be a virus that hurts Malaysia’s reputation.

The NGOs and political parties concerned also demanded that Fernandez retract her statement about labour conditions in the country and apologise to Malaysians. — Reuters file pic
Ikatan Rakyat Insan Muslim Malaysia (IRIMM), Amir Amsaa Alla Pitchay said Fernandez’s action was that of a traitor to the country as it could adversely affect Malaysia-Indonesia relations.

“If you want to criticise your own country that way, better not stay in Malaysia and not even eat here,” he said at a press conference, which was also attended by representatives of Dewan Ekonomi dan Sosial Muslim Malaysia (DESMMA), Pertubuhan Kebajikan dan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Pekida), Ampang branch of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and MIC Wangsa Maju division.

The Jakarta Post had on Monday reported that Fernandez claimed, among others, Malaysia was not safe for Indonesian workers because it did not have a legal framework or specific law to protect migrant workers.

She was also reported to have said that it was not in the Royal Malaysian Police’s power to shoot three Indonesian nationals who were house-breaking and robbery suspects in an incident in Port Dickson recently.

DESMMA president, Mohd Fazil Abdullah said Fernandez was more willing to run down her own country than feeling proud of having a peaceful country like Malaysia.

“More than two million Indonesians work in Malaysia and if the problems mentioned by her are so serious, they would not continue to come here to earn a living.

“Malaysia is still a peaceful place to earn a living compared to some other countries. If there are problems, they should not be blown out of proportion because she (Fernandez) should investigate first.

“Don’t simply make accusations because the number of problematic Indonesian workers is small,” he said.

Mohd Fazil regards Fernandez as being ungrateful for making such allegations against the Malaysian police as they have kept the country peaceful for more than 200 years, and she herself had benefited from a safe environment due to a police presence in the past.

The NGOs and political parties present at the press conference also demanded that Fernandez retract her statement and to apologise to Malaysians. — Bernama

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Irene should just include ALL of the above groups and persons in that lawsuit as well. Stop addressing non-issues Irene. Or would Irene like to hand over that Executve Director’s post to someone more capable.

ARTICLE 5

Owner of killer dog could face charges, says MPSJ – May 09, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, May 9 — The owner of a pit bull, which attacked and killed a septuagenarian in Subang Jaya yesterday, can be prosecuted despite the canine having a licence.

Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) deputy corporate director Azfarizal Abdul Rashid said, although the dog had a licence, the onus was on its owner to abide by the conditions imposed by MPSJ.

The conditions come under the MPSJ Law on Licensing of Dogs and Dog Breeding House 2012.

“Among others, owners cannot allow dogs to go free but must put them on a leash and under control when outside their premises,” Azfarizal said in a statement today.

He said, if the owners were found to be negligent, they could be compounded for RM1,000 and the dogs seized.

Azfarizal said the dog involved in the fatal attack has been seized by the Selangor Veterinary Services Department to facilitate investigations.

Yesterday, Yip Sun Wah, 74, was jogging when he was attacked by a male pit bull belonging to a neighbour on Jalan 19/5E, SS19 Subang Jaya. Yip died on the spot. — Bernama

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Here’s a draft for a law that any legislators of any country could use in this sort of case. The punishment (unless neurotech is involved) should be neither fine nor jail term BUT for the owner of the offending animal to :

a) provide for an equal number of persons or years of life lost (to the victim replace with ‘Care Provision’ from such attacks or persons in equally debilitating conditions)
i) for this case the septuagenerian probably had 10-20 years of life to live so punishment of care provision should be 10-20 years as well
ii) younger persons dying would make the owner liable to several decades worth of care provision
iii) with next of kin liable if the offending owner dies before the ‘care provision period’ is completed :

b) the animal is not to be put down
i) because the natural instinct is not the animal’s fault – in wild animals do hunt for food (geezer here is just food, there is no way to pre-educate as of this day)
ii) if the animal has been witnessed to have been verbally goaded or attacked by the victim (alive or not)

This sort of law should make owners of naturally vicious dogs that might kill be very careful as next of kin, nearest relative, even distant relative would become liable to provision of care for surviving persons. Again this is not about money or imprisonment and enriching prison contractors.

ARTICLE 6

Indonesia’s complex political landscape, and why we should be aware of it — Farish A. Noor – May 09, 2012

MAY 9 — I write this with a heavy heart, for yet again I am convinced that I suffer from the Cassandra complex. That is, being in a position to see what might happen in the near future but not having anyone listen to me and to end up being summarily dismissed as a worrisome bore instead.

I am sad because yet another row has emerged between Malaysia and Indonesia, and once again ties are strained over the issue of foreign workers in Malaysia. I am sad because, yet again, I see Southeast Asian citizens falling back into the neatly demarcated enclaves of national identities and forgetting the simple fact that the region was once a criss-crossing overlapping patchwork of communities that were perhaps less divided than they are today.

I am sad because, yet again, I see narrow nationalism overcoming regionalism, and countries trying to score points at each others’ expense.

The backdrop to this is the recent controversy about statements made by Malaysian activists about working conditions of workers in the country. Complicating matters is the fact that the statement/s were taken up by the Indonesian media, given some coverage, exploited perhaps by some parties, and eventually leading to investigations — rather than dealing with the real issue of workers lives and rights.

I will not comment on the personalities involved here, but I wish to make some observations about the state of Indonesian politics at the present that may be useful for some people.

Firstly, many of us simply do not understand and realise how complex and plural Indonesian politics has become in the post-Suharto era, where the country can be said to be going through a period of ‘hyper-democracy’, with the proliferation of so many new parties.

Gone are the days of Suharto where Indonesian politics was made up of three major parties — Golkar, PDI, PPP — and where government-to-government relations were handled on the elite level.

Suharto’s demise has also led to the weakening of the formerly dominant Golkar party, opening up new opportunity structures for new aspiring political entrepreneurs and wannabe elites who see party membership as a means for upward social-economic mobility.

Secondly, Indonesia has also experienced radical changes in terms of the relationship between the formerly powerful centre and the periphery. If during Suharto’s era the country was predominantly centrist in its organisation, Indonesia today has experienced a steady process of decentralisation since the era of Megawati.

Local elections, proportional representation (at party candidature level), local ordinances, etc have shifted power from Jakarta to the outer island provinces as never before, lending the impression that there is no longer a singular Indonesia focused on Jakarta, but rather many competing centres of power.

Thirdly, with the opening up of civil society and democratic space, and with the rise of local politics and political entrepreneurialism, politics has saturated all levels of Indonesian society in a myriad of ways, most noticeably in the domain of NGOs and CSOs. Compounding matters is the blurring of the distinction between NGOs, CSOs and political parties — many of which support each other and are mutually dependent.

Fourthly, in the present climate of an Indonesia undergoing rapid and visible transformation, one salient feature seems to be the relative absence of ideological contention between the parties, NGOs and CSOs. Many of the new social movements and parties in the country foreground a broad nationalist agenda, and quite a few of them articulate a vision of a dominant, powerful and even aggressive Indonesia vis-a-vis the rest of Asean.

It is against this context that groups like the hyper-nationalist Laskar Merah Putih and other groups have emerged, calling upon Indonesia to be more aggressive towards other countries. Over the years as I watched Indonesia’s political centre move slowly to the right, such developments alarm me due to their populist nature and their capacity to mobilise crowds against the perceived threat of outsiders and “enemies”. Malaysia has become the punching bag of some of these groups, and attacks on the Malaysian embassy have grown more frequent, and dramatic in their symbolism.

Here it has to be emphasised that many ordinary Indonesians are unaware of the fact that the Malaysian media and civil society has not followed the same path as theirs. My Indonesian friends and students are often surprised when I tell them that Malaysians generally do not attack the Indonesian embassy in KL.

It also has to be stated categorically that despite the tone and tenor of the more radical anti-Malaysian groups in Indonesia, thus far not a single Malaysian has been assaulted or injured in any way, and that the level of hostility thus far is largely symbolic, and confined to the extreme right-wing fringe of the political spectrum only.

Now it is with these factors in mind that my own stand on the question of foreign workers in Malaysia has been a nuanced and calculated one. Often, I have been asked by students and activists in Indonesia about the state of foreign workers in the country.

My response can be summarised as follows:

1. While host countries are obliged to protect the rights of foreign workers in their country, they are, I feel, obliged to protect the rights of their local workers too. It is unfair to simply criticise the host country if the Indonesian government does little to secure the rights of their own workers abroad.

2. While some of these Indonesian NGOs are so vocal about the abuse of workers in foreign countries including Dubai, the UAE, etc., why is it that they remain relatively silent about the poor working conditions of Indonesian workers at home? And if so, whose agendas are they really serving?

3. And if these Indonesian NGOs are so concerned about how workers are being cheated by employment agencies in foreign countries, why are they relatively silent about the cheating that takes place in Indonesia, by the recruitment agencies there?

It is for this reason that I am weary and wary of compounding matters further, and of unwittingly aiding the extreme right-wing hyper-nationalists in Indonesia by taking sides in any argument. My deepest worry is that with the rise of hyper-nationalism all across Southeast Asia today, in so many Asean countries, my longing to see the emergence of a peoples’ Asean that is bound by people-to-people contact fades further into the distance.

Asean will undoubtedly face its most challenging decade yet, and the economic, political and structural pressures on all the countries of the region will grow.

The only way that Asean can get through this in one piece is if and when the leaders and communities of Asean realise that we are one region that has a common destiny, and that we need to foster the centripetal (rather than centrifugal) forces in the region.

This latest development has dashed my hopes yet again, and I feel that the dream of an Asean decade and an Asean future more distant than ever. Worst of all, it reinforces my suspicion that despite our common historical past and geographical proximity, we remain alien to each other.

* Dr Farish A. Noor is a Senior Fellow at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

1) I write this with a heavy heart, for yet again I am convinced that I suffer from the Cassandra complex.

Credentials, wealth, position and network all make Farish suitable to run for private candidacy. Instead of running for election Farish sits on the sidelines talking about ‘Cassandra’. GREEEEAAAAAAAT . . . or shall we excuse Farish because Farish is living in a microstate run by the non-merit based, nepotistic PAP?

2) That is, being in a position to see what might happen in the near future but not having anyone listen to me and to end up being summarily dismissed as a worrisome bore instead.

Run for election and stop wallowing in self pity. Or is that not possible because you are a crypto-racist who refuses to challenge the lack of :

Why suffer the faded limelight of online media? What is lacking Farish, except perhaps SINCERITY in intent? Run for candidacy and stop being a faux-reformist propagandist to make BN look abit better from Singapre and feel all mellow and ‘academic’ while wasting the readers’ time. Heavy heart? Caused by the weight of living a life on the backs of the Rakyat without doing the necessary of a REAL academic or intelligensia IMHO. A degree obtained with money and mugging, academic post by pandering does not make anyone an academic, the soul behind the degree holder and the principle behind the work decides that without a single institution or personality backing them.

Syed Ali said growing Bumiputera equity was meaningless if it is not accompanied by profits. — File pic
KUALA LUMPUR, May 9 — The country’s biggest Malay business association wants the government to divest all of its lucrative commercial holdings, instead of the current plan to only yield 10 non-core assets to Bumiputera interests.

The Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia (MCCM) said today the government’s target for Bumiputeras to hold 30 per cent equity in the economy was meaningless without profits.

Putrajaya insisted yesterday it was confident that the target will be reached by 2020, after it announced last month Bumiputera equity had breached 23 per cent in 2010.

But the MCCM told a press conference today that “equity is one thing, business is another.”

If possible, we want it all. Why should the government hold it?

“Equity is good. But if there is no profit, it is meaningless. If possible, we want it all. Why should the government hold it? Might as well sell it so we can do business,” MCCM president Syed Ali Alattas said, referring to the government’s plan to divest non-core government assets to Bumiputera firms.

Syed Ali cited the example of Thistle Hotel in his hometown of Johor Baru, which “from day one was Malay-owned but (makes) no profit. What’s the point?”

“Better to have 100 RM3 million three-star hotels than a RM300 million hotel that makes no profit,” he said.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak had reaffirmed last month his commitment to a plan for Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) and Khazanah Nasional to each yield five non-core businesses to Bumiputera firms as part of efforts to grow the community’s participation in the economy.

In February, the prime minister announced the that 10 government-linked entities will be divested to “worthy” Bumiputera owners, raising concerns from across the political divide that the move mirrors the failed Mahathir-era plan to groom Bumiputera entrepreneurs in the 1990s.

Last year, Khazanah made a total of eight divestments, which brought in proceeds of RM7.7 billion and helped to push the company’s profit before tax for the full year to RM5.3 billion from RM3 billion in 2010.

Key divestments included the sale of its 32 per cent stake in Pos Malaysia to Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar al-Bukhary’s DRB-Hicom Bhd for RM622.8 million and the complete privatisation of PLUS Bhd through a joint acquisition by UEM Group Bhd and the Employees Provident Fund (EPF).

In January, Khazanah also announced the sale of its 42.7 per cent stake in national carmaker Proton Holdings Bhd to DRB-Hicom, which is controlled by Malaysia’s richest Malay, for RM1.3 billion.

Syed Ali added today that the shifting of non-core businesses to Bumiputeras must “not be based just on whether they have the money but whether they can manage it or not.”

He added that MCCM members were well-placed to take over these activities as its 42 organisations were made up of 10,000 professionals including architects, lawyers, engineers, surveyors and scientists.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Separation of powers at work here. For all the racism (if any) within the MCCM’s ranks, this is a good step towards democraticisation of Malaysian Federal governmemt. How about asking the PM to formally make someone the Finance Minister as well. The situation of a single man holding BOTH PM and Finance Minister’s posts causes conflict of interest no end eevn as apartheid ensures that a nation cannot function as a unit but competing factions.

ARTICLE 8

Guan Eng: How can Hanif be considered ‘neutral’ – Najib is clearly desperate! – Written by Lim Guan Eng – Thursday, 10 May 2012 11:33

The appointment of former inspector-general of police Tun Mohamad Hanif Omar to head of the independent panel to probe incidents of violence during the Bersih 3.0 rally has raised deep public concerns that the investigation will either be a whitewash of police brutality on peaceful demonstrators, a massive cover-up of the sufferings of the victims or a pretext to justify BN’s wild lies that Bersih 3.0 was a coup d’état attempt.

Hanif, who is now Genting Malaysia Bhd Deputy Chair, had claimed that communist sympathizers were involved in the Bersih 3.0 rally, and supported Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s claim that the Bersih 3.0 rally was an attempt to overthrow the government. Hanif further stated that the tactics of using provocateurs to cause the demonstrators to clash with police and to bring children along in the hope they would get injured were tactics learnt from past pro-communist demonstrations.

Najib is clearly desperate

How can Datuk Seri Najib Razak consider Hanif as a “credible, experienced and respectable” individual that ensures its investigation panel is independent and unbiased, when Hanif has adopted such a prejudiced and partisan stand against the Bersih 3.0 rally as an attempt to overthrow the government?

What makes those claims of a coup d’tat by Najib and Hanif most ridiculous is that both of them ignored the fact that six local pressmen and about 12 photographers and journalists from the foreign media were reportedly assaulted during the fracas on April 28 Bersih 3.0 rally by police.

To add insult to injury, Hanif is now heading the investigation panel raising doubts about the integrity, reliability and credibility of its findings. As a former Inspector-General of Police, Hanif is first and foremost disqualified from serving on the investigation panel due to this conflict of interest as the police is being accused. Secondly, by publicly condemning Bersih, Hanif’s prejudiced bias would also disqualify him to serve on the investigation panel. Finally, by linking Bersih to communism, Hanif is still fighting yesterday’s long-concluded wars, making the outcome of these investigations a foregone conclusion.

For these reasons, the Prime Minister should try to salvage or restore some credibility and public confidence as well as renew faith that “justice will not only be done but be seen to be done” by replacing Hanif with an independent, apolitical, unbiased and an upright person of integrity.

Lim Guan Eng is the DAP secretary general and Penang Chief Minister

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

What does attacking Hanif Omar do? NOTHING. Attacking a mere Hanif Omar is a sign of pettiness (also a Freudianslip of sorts, cult of prsonality vs. cult of personality indicating prioritsation of ego rather than actual democratic issues) when LGE could attack the lack of :

;via a formal delegation to UN, NAM, BRICS or even Sunnite Islam’s highest authority, the Al-Azhar Uni at Cairo. The above piece is a sure sign that LGE is NOT CM material at all, lack of logos but probably quite mercenary minded (asks for 750K funerals and very interested in ‘CEO Stuff’). Any blogger full of pathos could attack Hanif Omar or any VIP. Use that undeserved CM’s ethos or GTFO of the Dewan Mr.Parachute beneficiary of nepotism quorumless, unelected CM! DAP fails with sheer inability to even comprehend rhetoric, much less DEMOCRACY to at least know the APARTHEID CM Lim being a minority now lives in! Pitiful and a waste of mandate!

KUALA LUMPUR, May 11 — Tun Mohammad Hanif Omar has maintained he will be fair and impartial when heading Putrajaya’s independent panel on allegations of violence during Bersih 3.0.

The former Inspector-General of Police dismissed allegations that the panel would return biased findings with him on board, saying that he has always acted fairly in previous enquiries and police investigations.

“If they are concerned about unfairness, they can ask themselves whether I was unfair back then,” Hanif told Sinar Harian.

The former Inspector-General of Police’s impartiality has been questioned by PR leaders. — file pic
The former top cop was part of a special committee tasked with investigating the fatal police shooting of 14-year-old Aminulrasyid Amzah two years ago.

“In May 2010, I was part of the special police monitoring panel investigating the sudden death of Aminulrasyid Amzah in Shah Alam… where the panel’s scope involved complaints against the police,” he said.

Hanif said he hoped to be able to carry out his duties professionally and responsibly.

Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders have demanded Hanif step down as head of the special panel on Bersih 3.0.

PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said this was necessary to ensure the panel is completely fair and neutral in its investigations into incidents surrounding the April 28 rally.

DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang said Hanif’s appointment was the “worst” decision the Najib administration had made in three years.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said that Hanif had already made clear his opposition to Bersih and his former position as IGP would be a conflict of interest when the panel examines allegations of police brutality.

As such, he said, it was a “forgone conclusion” that the panel would absolve all police personnel from blame over the violent incidents during Bersih 3.0 last month.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein announced the names of the six-man panel tasked with investigating allegations of police violence against Bersih 3.0 protesters on April 28.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak pledged last week that “credible, experienced and respectable” individuals would form the independent panel to investigate alleged acts of violence during Bersih 3.0.

Najib said that he, along with the entire government and members of the public, are keeping a close eye on investigations into the allegations that journalists, both local and foreign, had been roughed up during the rally for free and fair elections.

But Najib has come under fire for his administration’s selection of Hanif to head the panel, even after the latter had agreed with the prime minister’s claim that Bersih 3.0 was an attempt to overthrow the government and even claimed that communist sympathisers were involved in the event.

Chaos reigned on the streets of Kuala Lumpur for over four hours after 3pm on April 28 when police fired tear gas and water cannons and chased protesters down the streets to disperse what had initially begun as a peaceful protest calling for free and fair elections.

The Bar Council has said that its observers found that police brutality at the rally was “magnified” compared to already chaotic scenes during a similar gathering for free and fair elections last July 9.

Six local pressmen and 12 photographers and journalists from the foreign media were reportedly assaulted during the fracas on April 28.

Both local and foreign media groups have condemned the hard-handed tactics used on the media, whom they pointed out were merely doing their job.

Police had begun firing the tear gas and water cannons after some demonstrators breached the barricade in front of Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and rushed into Dataran Merdeka, which the court had barred the public from entering that particular weekend.

They fired as far as the DBKL premises, which are across Jalan Parlimen, and the move broke up the crowd who fled helter-skelter but police chased them down at Jalan Tun Perak and Jalan Raja Laut.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang said : ‘Hanif’s appointment was the “worst” decision the Najib administration had made in three years. ‘

No. Most of the UMNO lot are lacking in charisma which most racists here (no guesses who) at least have. But even that charisma or neurotech spying will not be enough considered against the below bottomline 3 items where –

The only good Malay is a . . . fair minded Malay who will address Malaysia’s lack of :

The EU would handle Public Assemblies differently – May 9, 2012 – The EU would handle Public Assemblies differently, says its Ambassador to Malaysia – by Shannon Teoh@www.themalaysianinsider.com

The European Union (EU) is “keenly interested” in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s reform package but believes the raft of legislative changes must “translate to positive effects on the ground”, says its envoy Vincent Piket.

The EU Ambassador to Malaysia told The Malaysian Insider “EU countries would handle public assemblies differently”, just days after the April 28 BERSIH rally, which has seen loud and growing allegations of Police brutality in the aftermath. Putrajaya has said it will assemble panel to investigate violence against journalists.

“This whole series of laws passed by Parliament — a bit in a rush, maybe — but on the whole, present incremental progress. How these laws implemented on the ground, that is the test of the matter. Do the legal reforms translate to real positive effects on the ground?” Piket said in an interview ahead of Europe Day, which falls today.

He added that “EU countries would probably do things differently, handle public assemblies differently from current law,” referring to the newly-enforced Peaceful Assembly Act 2012.

Najib had announced a slew of reforms in the last year, including the repeal of the controversial Internal Security Act (ISA), forming a parliamentary panel on electoral reforms and a new law he said would allow for freedom of assembly in accordance with “international norms”, the largest set of changes in the country within three years.
The EU Ambassador does not believe Malaysians would accept radical changes.But the changes have been described as cosmetic by civil society and the Opposition, and the April 28 sit-in at Dataran Merdeka was called by BERSIH after the electoral reforms movement said it was disappointed with the findings of the polls committee.

At the rally, Police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse tens of thousands, chasing them down several streets after some had breached the barricade around the historic square, which the courts had barred the public from entering across the weekend.

Dozens of demonstrators have since recounted how they or other rally-goers were allegedly assaulted by groups of Policemen.

The Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) has also said Police conduct was unacceptable while the Bar Council alleged that police brutality was “magnified” from the previous rally for free and fair elections held last July.

But Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar has said that if Police had not acted to disperse the crowd, an “open battle could have happened and created a more dangerous situation.”

Police have insisted they will investigate all claims “openly and fairly”, but so far have identified over 90 civilian suspects and no policeman yet in the ongoing probe over violence perpetrated by both protestors and enforcers.

However, Piket refused to “pass judgment” but said “what is key is the overall trend.”“If you look at it, where we are now, compared to when I first came, I think there is positive progress that is undeniable in terms of greater space for debate, particularly in digital media,” said the ambassador who took up his post just after the landmark March 2008 election.

He added that the key is “where do we go from here” and noted that the government aims to turn Malaysia into a developed economy by 2020 “but also parallel with political transformation and turn Malaysia into this best democracy in the world.”

“I think it’s doable. I don’t think the Malaysian mentality is for radical change. It is more a country of gradual change, moving forward in consensual manner,” the Dutchman added.

Piket also pointed to Najib’s Global Movement of Moderates, to which British Prime Minister David Cameron had given his full support when he visited Malaysia last month.

“EU leaders feel (the movement) is a good initiative but are now trying to see how we can give it practical shape,” he said.

The 53-year-old, who has been with the EU for 20 years, said that one source of friction is “immigration from non-traditional source countries that puts a test on a society’s ability to integrate non-traditional cultures and religions.”

“It is a transition process, goes hand-in-hand with some friction but we can’t let that friction determine the agenda,” he said.

Malaysia has had to deal with the tension between Malay, Chinese and Indian ethnic groups in the peninsula since independence while the flood of migrants from Indonesia and the Philippines has overwhelmed Sabahans.

The Home Ministry embarked on the “6P” amnesty programme last year to either absorb or pardon and repatriate illegal migrant workers as conflicting concerns of labour shortage and the rise of social ills and crime came to a head.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

File that lawsuit against any identified MPs who are racists already! Try the response to ‘Article 9′ on below link to otherwise nail RACISTS and RELIGIOUS SUPREMACISTS in government :

Would Piket kindly speak to PM Najib on Malaysia’s lack of the above 3 items instead of fetting this so-called ‘Global Movement of Moderates’ which the same organizer and Prime Minister of Malaysia has obviously not acted on the 3 items above first? The EU should not stand by and allow people like Picket to speak as if everything is fine, while the 3rd world which merely seeks equality and the above 3 item is denied what even the basics which have already been established by the UNHCR in the 1940s.

‘However, Piket refused to “pass judgment” but said “what is key is the overall trend.”“If you look at it, where we are now, compared to when I first came, I think there is positive progress that is undeniable in terms of greater space for debate, particularly in digital media,” said the ambassador who took up his post just after the landmark March 2008 election.’

Picket’s ambivalence on apartheid when considered against the above FACTS is particularly reprehensible. Will the EU speak honestly and take to task all those who deny anyone the above 3 items?

Betrayal of a war hero: Why did the Army pursue Para through the courts for two years at a cost of £300,000… just for stopping a Taliban suspect fleeing? – by Ian Drury – PUBLISHED: 22:57 GMT, 25 April 2012 | UPDATED: 22:57 GMT, 25 April 2012

Paratrooper: Corporal C (not pictured) was pursued by the Army for punching a Taliban suspect in the face

A paratrooper who was dragged through the military courts for hitting a Taliban suspect – in a case that cost more than £300,000 – was finally cleared yesterday.

A judge threw out the Army’s case after describing the evidence against the soldier as ‘weak and tenuous’.

The alleged victim couldn’t even be bothered to turn up.

The 31-year-old defendant, known only as Corporal C, punched the prisoner once in the face as he interrogated him in Helmand Province.

The Special Forces soldier had been desperate to discover the possible location of improvised explosive devices.

Cpl C, who served for nine years before quitting in disgust at his treatment, admitted hitting the captive, whom he insists was trying to escape.

But the military refused to drop the case – even though the captive, Ahmed Wali, did not want to make a formal complaint, and there were no witnesses to the incident.

The case is estimated to have cost the taxpayer more than £300,000 and it plunged the military into a political correctness row.

The Service Prosecuting Authority even paid tens of thousands of pounds to retain Sarah Whitehouse, one of the country’s most eminent barristers, to fight its case.

Last night Tory MP and former infantry officer Patrick Mercer said: ‘I always thought that Cpl C had acted with remarkable courage, restraint and professionalism in the circumstances.

‘He was operating deep in enemy territory with a real threat of losing life and limb. Now it seems that a judge has finally agreed.
‘This has been a scandalous waste of public money and it is dreadful that a good soldier has had to live with the threat of this hanging over him for so long’
Patrick Mercer, Tory MP and former infantry officer

‘This has been a scandalous waste of public money and it is dreadful that a good soldier has had to live with the threat of this hanging over him for so long. It seems political correctness has been put ahead of the welfare of our troops.’

Cpl C, who is originally from Glasgow, had spent nearly two-and-a-half years with the charge hanging over him.

But Judge Advocate Alistair McGrigor, sitting at the Portsmouth Naval Base court martial centre, yesterday slung out the case halfway through the hearing.

(The judge) said: ‘My ruling is that the prosecution case is so tenuous and so weak that I will stop the trial at this stage.’

Last year three judges, asked to review the evidence at the Court Martial Appeal Court in London, branded the case ‘unfortunate’ saying it was a ‘large hammer (to deal) with a relatively minor matter’.

Cpl C, who had risked his life serving with distinction in Iraq and Afghanistan with the 1st Battalion the Parachute Regiment, was a qualified tactical questioner when the incident happened on March 1, 2010.

The shameful saga

He was section commander of a joint British and Afghan patrol which set up a vehicle checkpoint in Babaji, a Taliban stronghold strewn with IEDs.

The patrol, which had been on duty for eight hours, was aware that insurgents were planning a vicious attack and had faced a near constant barrage of small arms fire.

The court martial was told that at about 10am, the patrol stopped a motorbike carrying two men who were ‘acting suspiciously’.

British troops believed they were acting as ‘dickers’ – spotters – for Taliban fighters. As a member of the Afghan Territorial Force waded across a canal to approach the men, the rider pulled out a pistol and pointed it at him.

The insurgent was shot and Wali, the pillion passenger, was taken into a nearby compound for questioning. The prisoner was held in plastic handcuffs and made to squat – standard Army practice – during the interview.

Wali, who was carrying a list containing the names of senior Taliban, was left alone with Cpl C for about a minute while an interpreter and another serviceman were called away. When they returned, they found Wali had ‘a swollen lip and blood on his face’.

When questioned by the Royal Military Police, Cpl C said he punched Wali as insurgents were firing at the compound and laying down IEDs. Explaining that the pair were squatting about one foot from each other, Cpl C said Wali had suddenly raised his arms.

He responded by striking out with his left fist. He said: ‘I thought he was going to hit me or run away, or worse-case scenario he could have taken my weapon off me. At that time I thought it was the correct decision.’

Cpl C, who has seen close comrades killed and injured in battle, added that he was carrying his full kit and could have easily been pushed over by the detainee. Mark Aldred, defending, said the soldier’s action was ‘a proportionate response to a perceived risk’.

He added: ‘This is of course Afghanistan. In the context of what goes on there, the fact that a detainee made a brief attempt to escape and was being faced with minor force would barely register on the Richter scale.’

Miss Whitehouse, prosecuting, said the Army doubted Cpl C’s claim that he acted in self-defence because he did not mention the Afghan’s escape bid until he was formally interviewed by the Royal Military Police three months later.

It also emerged during legal arguments that Wali did not want to make a complaint against Cpl C. After he was released, efforts to track him down in Helmand failed.

Critics believe the Army was trying to repair its reputation in the wake of the scandal over Baha Mousa, the hotel receptionist who was beaten to death by British troops in Iraq in 2003.

Suspicious: Face-covered militants who they say are Taliban fighters, pose with RPGs and AK47s, in Zabul province, south of Kabul, Afghanistan

Last night, Colonel Richard Kemp, who commanded British forces in Afghanistan, said: ‘I think the person who pressed for this to be brought before court martial really does need to have their very, very poor judgment questioned.

‘The judge has very quickly come to the conclusion there is no case at all to answer. It is quite right that if there are allegations of ill-treatment to prisoners they must be investigated. That is absolutely correct. But if it cannot be proved that there is evidence of wrong-doing then it is disgraceful that it goes to a court martial.

‘The soldier must have spent the last two years under terrible pressure when what he was doing was fighting for his country and putting his life on the line.

‘It appears that no one has had the common sense to look at the context, which was that he was on a battlefield in very real danger.’

Major Charles Heyman, who edits the British Army handbook, added: ‘It’s good that this case has been thrown out. It is shocking that a soldier who was doing his duty has been hauled before the courts on such flimsy evidence. Sadly this is all too familiar because there are over-zealous prosecutors who are unwilling to think anything other than the worst of our soldiers.’

Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. The comments below have not been moderated.

Lots of things happen during a war – people get killed as well as a fat lip! Whoever sanctioned this prosecution should be sacked!!

– Will, Bangor, 26/4/2012 10:21
Rating (0)

Why didn’t the PM step in and stop this farce! He is quick enough to read out names of fallen soldiers in the house of commons which I find hard to stomach that these people say this to try and make us believe that they care.

– sick of all the waste, Leeds, 26/4/2012 10:20
Rating 1

you can use lethal force in self defence namely yours that of those around you or private property, where is the case against this man?

– simon, hogwash, 26/4/2012 10:15
Rating 1

Perhaps our forces personnel should be supplied with special uniforms which keep one arm permanently tied up because that often seems to be the result of the regulations under which they have to operate.. Our forces were sent to Afghanistan in 2001 in what was supposed to be a peace-keeping role but it’s been out and out war which the Taliban and Al Quaeda recognise even if of our top brass don’t.

– Marie , England, 26/4/2012 10:13
Rating (0)

Please stop calling all servicemen ‘heroes’ who fight and serve in these illegal wars, its insulting to the intelligent readers. The last heroes we had fought and died in WW2.

This is not new! Back in the 1970s, open fire in NI and the investigating branch and the civil police would be all over you trying to make out you ‘fancied shooting at something’. I witnessed one soldier threaten the military policeman trying to belittle a fellow infantryman had the soldier not calmed down when I told him , I honestly believe the MP would have got one round the back of the head from me too on his way down! Have my doubts that this was reported by a regimental NCO or or officer. Despair at the anti officer nonsense that I read, having started at the bottom and worked up I saw that most regimental officers are superb – and they come from all walks of life, there were very few public schoolboys in my last mess. Since 1914 the British army officer corp – pro rata has taken greater casualties than the rank and file it saddens me that the heavy sacrifice is never given recognition.

– Bill, Venta Belgarum, 26/4/2012 10:09
Rating (0)

This soldier, like the rest of the country, has been betrayed! firstly by Bliar then by the buffoons who prosecuted him!

– horseboi, Oxford UK, 26/4/2012 10:06
Rating 7

Good to see the armchair critics out in force. The nearest they get to experience someone trying to kill them is when they play a computer game. Easy sat at home telling our guys and girls out there what to do.

– steve, wrexham, 26/4/2012 09:59
Rating 6

Illuminati….

– Craig , Kent, 26/4/2012 09:59
Rating 3

Absolutely right that this matter should be pursued – The Army beat a man to death in Iraq “conditioning” him for interrogation. There is no place for violence in interrogation – and this was not in the interrogators manual or training – Thomas, Newcastle, 26/4/2012 5:34=====That’s right Thomas, they should just behead people with rusty knives and film it instead! To all you army/country hating traitors, were you born this way or is it something you have morphed into in your slither through life? I just hope and pray for all our sakes that you/we never have to call on the services of the army you seem to hate so much.

– Lancastrian, Yorkshire, 26/4/2012 09:58

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Humanity has, since developing past the low density tribal era (at least in tribes where everyone was an important individual in their own right) been in a war of psychic imprinting where FREE CHOICE of one’s favourite person to be imprinted by should be CHOSEN FREELY, instead of being forced upon by a dictator or (forceful, aka psychologically manipulative – psychiatry is viewed as a branch of the ‘secret police’ in the 3rd world, not medical professionals to help genuinely ill persons – or abusive ‘personalities’ (ask about the rapes and murders that have and continue to occur in these parts, compounded by lies and rumours by vicious cronies out to get their opponents or even bad relationships intentionally soured, sometimes to gain access to wealth by a burgeoning class of manhaters who form a backbone of insane that hide behind ‘male abuse’), perhaps a sick minded or older relative. Manipulative use of billboards, NLPs and placards pasted all over the place with a politician or less so though ‘inadvertant’ fans or converts occur alot more in actor-star imprints. All of the above is a form of this abuse, especially when non-consensual and should also be illegal. Perhaps a chapter in that ‘Spiritual Education Charter’ the UN has yet to print and require all schools to distribute and teach from?

Some imprints dominate entire nations due to cults of personality again spiritual criminals, much like term limitless politicians making b1tches of people who enter their political parties by imprinting upon them a certain faith, mindset or meme-set. Finally, though it is uncivil to copy uniqueness rather than develop one’s own unique look or phenotype without permission, or if the person is unaware of the implications of ‘stardom’ or ‘public personality’ (which ends up wtih hordes of disguusting cheap copies of the imprinter in question. The mass of generally formless faceless types can be thus be respected for ethics and awareness (less likely as people do have some sense of direction though not necessarily personality), if not pitied for inability to create a unique facial form of their own (more common).

As for the way the above case was handled, out of a pathological love for micromanagement, and refusal to allow pro-active behaviour and critical thinking to prevail (despite saying how democratic ‘the West’ is), in another few more decades of this, and the ‘West’ will have dug their own grave and buried the ‘West’ without need of any wars, not to mention that as of now they are already bankrupt and PARASITING off the productive middle class, keeping funds from circulating due to plutocrats’ sequestered wealth, and imposed dependency and hand out culture of the lower classes from bad laws to enrich crony suppliers.

BEIJING – A Chinese online fashion retailer is being probed for cashing in on Premier Wen Jiabao’s popularity to promote its latest T-shirts — an act that might have violated the country’s law on advertisement, Beijing commerce authorities said.

Vancl, popular for its pop culture apparel, stirred up controversy on Tuesday by advertising on its website a new series of T-shirts printed with Premier Wen’s signature quotations like “Forget About Me” and “Self-Reflection.”

Both quotes were picked from Wen’s emotional press finale this March when he addressed a press conference after the conclusion of the annual parliamentary session.

The 70-year-old premier’s term of office is slated to end in March next year. Since he took the post in 2003, Wen has become popular among the people and is sometimes fondly nicknamed “Grandpa Wen.”

The series of T-shirts is named “Look Up At The Starry Sky,” the title of a poem written by Wen and published in the People’s Daily in 2007.

One of the Vancl T-shirts actually features “Look Up At The Starry Sky” and “Step On The Concrete Ground” in Chinese calligraphy, in reference to a couplet Wen gave to students of Peking University in 2010.

The couplet was a metaphor for telling young students to hold high ambitions but take a step-by-step approach to achieve their dreams.

Pictures of Wen waving to journalists and taking questions, though not printed on the T-shirts, were splashed on the advertisement web page at http://www.vancl.com.

But the page was taken down by the company only hours after its appearance as many Internet users accused it of cashing in on the premier’s popularity to promote its products.

“Vancl’s online advertisement is suspected of violating the Advertisement Law which stipulates an advertisement shall not involve using the names of State organs or their functionaries,” a spokesman of Beijing municipal industry and commerce bureau told Xinhua.

The bureau would soon take actions in accordance with the law, he added.

While it is not unusual to see the faces of Chairman Mao and other late state leaders on souvenirs, it is rare to see images of incumbent leaders or officials being borrowed by pop culture.

Jiao Hongyu, a Vancl spokeswoman, told Xinhua the advertisement was designed out of respect for Wen, hoping the premier’s messages might have a positive influence on today’s young people, who are Vancl’s back-bone customers.

“We did a Lei Feng (a late heroic Communist soldier) series before and it was very well received,” Jiao said. “So when we planned this series, we did not foresee any negative impact it might bring.”

T-shirts of the “Lei Feng” series are sold ranging from 29 yuan ($4.6) to 59 yuan a piece. The “Look Up At The Starry Sky” T-shirts, however, have been pulled off from Vancl’s online purchasing platform.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Inappropriate for public officials. After the public official has retired, MAYBE because that official’s influence can still affect and make non-neutral policies. After the public official has passed on AND if there are no relatives of that official in government as well, t-shirts become and other memorabilia quite appropriate. Profiteering should not be at the expense of the stability of the nation.

MILAN, April 22 — Luciano Benetton will hand over the helm of the Italian fashion clothing company he helped found 47 years ago to his son this week, he said in an interview published today.

Benetton and his family turned the company into one of Italy’s best known brands with more than 6,500 stores in 120 countries and a reputation for controversial advertising and bold colours, but it has struggled against new competitors.

“The baton passes to my son Alessandro, who will become chairman,” Benetton, who turns 77 in May, said in an interview published in Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

“After a run of 47 years, on Tuesday I will resign from the duties I hold in the company I founded with my siblings.”

A company spokesman confirmed the remarks made in the interview. Alessandro is currently deputy chairman.

Benetton has suffered from the emergence of more-flexible rivals such as Inditex’s Zara and Sweden‘s H&M . In January the family announced it would delist the company after a buyout of minority shareholders.

An industry source told Reuters in February that Alessandro was set to take charge and that the buy-out would give him room for possible asset disposals or alliances and help revamp the group to accommodate other family members.

In the interview, Benetton said his 48-year-old son had shown in the two years as deputy chairman he had the passion needed to run the group, now more than 90 per cent controlled by the family.

Benetton scrapped its 2011 dividend after sluggish consumer demand in Southern Europe and the rising cost of raw materials such as cotton led to an almost 30 per cent fall in net profit. — Reuters

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

The corporate ethics issue arises. Not enriching all citizens, but 1 family. Leads to extreme plutocracy and doubtless golden parachute cronyism at the expense of the stockmarket and the stock holders. Nepotism is uncool. Benneton or any other ‘semi-professional’ companies posing as ‘corporate’ outfits based around family ties, are blood diamonds among corporate gems. In the world of political parties where laws that can imprison and fine are involved (i.e. faith vs. faith, narrow ethnic communalism etc..) this sort of behaviour of course is absolutely unacceptable and quite 3rd world-like in nature.

An “Inside the Beltway” public-interest group that investigates government corruption reported on Friday that it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit — Judicial Watch v. Department of Homeland Security (No. 1:12-cv-00346) — against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for records related to President Barack Obama’s illegal alien uncle, Onyango Obama, who was arrested in August 2011 on drunken driving charges in Framingham, Massachusetts as first reported by the Law Enforcement Examiner.

On March 27, 2012, Onyango Obama admitted to the Framingham District Court that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials, meanwhile, indicated that the agency would continue deportation proceedings against Obama, as reported in the Boston Herald.

“Now that [Mr. Obama’s] criminal case has completed, ICE has communicated, in accordance with standard procedure, with his attorney regarding his removal pursuant to a previous final order by an immigration judge,” agency spokesman Brian P. Hale said.

Onyango Obama reportedly was first ordered out of the country in 1992 but refused to leave.

After Onyango Obama was released from federal custody at the Plymouth County House of Correction on September 8, 2011, via an “order of supervision,” JW filed a second FOIA request, seeking access to “all records of communications, contacts and correspondence” between ICE and the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department,” as well as the other organizations listed in the previous FOIA request.

By letter dated September 20, 2011, ICE acknowledged both FOIA requests. A response was due by October 19, 2011. However, after six months, DHS has failed to turn over any records, explain why they should be withheld, or indicate when a response will be forthcoming.

Obama, who, upon his arrest, said his one phone call would be to the White House, has indicated that he will fight ICE’s efforts to deport him in a high profile proceeding that the Boston Herald conjectured could “drag on for years.”

While he fights deportation, Obama will be allowed to drive a car. He was supposed to lose his license for 45 days, but received a “hardship license,” from the Massachusetts’s Department of Motor Vehicles so that he could drive back and forth to his job at a liquor store. (Typically, illegal aliens cannot lawfully work in the United States.)

“Onyango Obama has already escaped deportation once. And given his family relationship to President Obama, the American people must be assured that the law is being impartially followed in this case. The Obama administration’s decision to flout FOIA and stonewall our records request suggests that there is something to hide,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.

Special thanks to Judicial Watch’s Jill Farrell, director of public affairs, for her continued assistance and valuable information.
About the author:

Jim Kouri

Jim KouriJim Kouri, CPP, formerly Fifth Vice-President, is currently a Board Member of the National Association of Chiefs of Police, an editor for ConservativeBase.com, and he’s a columnist for Examiner.com. In addition, he’s a blogger for the Cheyenne, Wyoming Fox News Radio affiliate KGAB (www.kgab.com). Kouri also serves as political advisor for Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor Michael Moriarty.

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One wonders if the whole issue is due to racism. Leave the old ‘black’ guy alone. Consider allowing Onyango Obama to stay in USA on compassionate and family grounds. Stop bullying. Dya think he’s a criminal? Or that there is no space in USA for 1 more illegal alien? Last I remember, Uncle Onyango was supposed to give a ‘Black Power’ speech in Malaysia following the death of a ‘black youth’ by the local paramilitary (junta?) who are also paid off the taxpayer’s funds without assent by any majority quorum of taxpayers to boot, so please stop trying to deport the guy. Onyango will be out of the USA giving seminars (which is more than what you might be doing) soon enough for quite awhile if Pres. Hussein’s (Obama) people know how to save face. You can’t deport someone who willingly left the country to be a respectable figure in educating 3rd world apartheid states about anti-racism . . .

“Dog Whisperer” host Cesar Millan might need some consolation from man’s best friend after his divorce was finalized.

TMZ is reporting that the self-taught expert dog trainer must pay his ex-wife, Ilusión, a one-time amount of $400,000, a monthly spousal payment of $23,000, and another $10,000 for monthly child support.

That may seem like a huge sum for a basic cable reality TV personality, but Millan can afford it.

The recently filed divorce documents, which were obtained by TMZ, show that Millan makes $170,000 a month — which is over $2 million a year. Though he is best known for hosting the National Geographic Channel’s “Dog Whisperer” for eight seasons — it has millions of viewers and is broadcast to over 80 countries — the 42-year-old has also authored several best-selling books and runs a Dog Psychology Center. The latter, according to the New York Times, is a 43-acre mecca he calls “Disneyland for dogs.”

And then there is Cesar Millan Inc., which accounts for all of Millan’s ventures outside of his TV show. According to the New York Times, that includes “speaking engagements; executive leadership seminars; a line of organic dog food, fortified water, shampoos and toys … and the charitable foundation financed by an undisclosed percentage of the company’s revenue.”

Ilusion, a Mexican-American who married Millan when she was 18 and he was 24, was very involved in her husband’s career. She helped him run Cesar Millan Inc. and designed the Illusion Collar, which helps control difficult dogs.

The couple, who filed for divorce in June 2010, had been married for 16 years and have two boys together.

The New York Times says the pair separated after the birth of their first son but reconciled. It quotes Ilusión as saying “We’re what I call Mr. Talent and Mrs. Brains. You can’t have one without the other.”

To which Cesar said: “My wife rehabilitated me.”

It is unclear what role Ilusión has had in the various business ventures since the divorce filing, though the charitable Cesar and Ilusión Millan Foundation has been since renamed the Millan Foundation.

People reported that Millan “famously came to the U.S. as a young man from his native Mexico with $100 in his pocket and a dream of becoming a famous dog trainer.” Now his client list includes Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith and director Ridley Scott, all of whom needed help with their canines.

Millan, who lives in Los Angeles, became a United States citizen in 2010. He is known for rehabilitating troubled dogs, largely because he “lives in the now and maintains a sort of über-balanced mien,” according to the New York Times.

And he apparently values his privacy. TMZ reports that the divorce documents stipulate that any “intimate, personal and/or private information about the other party … including details of their personal and/or sexual relationships” must remain confidential. Any “photograph, film, videotape, recording … which is not commercially available” must remain private.

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Nonsense. This woman needs a single 401K at most to retire on LIKE ALL OTHER *NORMAL* AMERICANS. Twice that amount would already be excessive. A typical family needs only 1-3K in support to get by. Challenge the ruling moron plutocrat. Having money does not mean one can sequester wealth, nor also be abused by stupid rulings that are inequitable. A nation of strong individuals need to also consider critical thought and challenging the bad law or bad judgment when bad judgments occur, or when encountering bad laws.

Marcel Proust wrote, “Let us leave the beautiful women to men with no imagination” — and if you’re loath to take dating advice from a French author who wrote a 10,000-page novel about a guy eating a cookie, well, you’ve clearly been brainwashed by decades of movies, TV shows and magazine ads. Me? I empathize more with all those less-than-perfect single women out there. I’m talking about those ladies who may not know that most ordinary guys are attracted to the quirks and so-called “flaws” they’re terrified will doom them to a lifetime of singlehood.

Now that I’ve opened that door, there’s no way to avoid the one supposed “imperfection” that keeps women awake at night above all others — their weight. Allow yourselves to be reassured by Dr. Judy Kuriansky, author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Dating, who says that “many men like plus-sized women with soft bellies. This often happens when they had a mother or nanny who had that kind of body and they felt comforted and enveloped by the mother figure — protected from the world or the insults of other children. Also, men like women with large hips for anthropological reasons — it used to mean that the woman was fertile.” And in my own experience, the vast majority of guys (at least, the ones who aren’t on TV shows or in movies) don’t care much about a few — or even 20 or 30 — extra pounds.

So what other surprising things do a significant number of men find attractive about women? Here are five for your delectation:

1. Glasses. Says Jeff, posting on the Yelp.com message boards: “Every guy loves a girl in glasses, but women never seem to know that. It’s not like we’re keeping it a secret — why would we? It’d mean fewer girls in glasses! Some glasses-lover needs to infiltrate Cosmopolitan magazine and get the word out!” For some guys (mostly the lazy ones who grew up watching teen gross-out comedies), glasses connote a nerdy personality and a high IQ, which can have their own intrinsic appeal; others appreciate them as fashion accessories, while still others have a natural affinity for them because spectacle-wearing women remind them of their mothers or early childhood crushes.

2. Freckles. Just as the deodorant-producing industrial complex has created legions of denatured, pheromone-free men (it turns out that plenty of women like guys with an earthy, musky scent), the powers-that-be in the cosmetics industry have convinced women that their natural freckles need to be buried under thick slabs of spackle and bronzer. Tonja Weimer, writer of the syndicated “Savvy Dating” column, says this is all based on a huge misunderstanding: “Freckles represent being unaffected, natural and relaxed. To some men, they also make a woman appear somewhat ‘innocent’ and less jaded.” If you don’t have freckles, try wearing less makeup, which many men also appreciate.

3. An independent streak. In my own experience, the worst thing a woman can do — whether it’s on a first date or after 20 years of marriage — is subsume her naturally ebullient personality in an effort to be more “accommodating” to her partner and avoid making waves. Most guys like a brisk, good-natured argument, and if you nip this possibility in the bud by constantly replying “I agree” or “Yes, you’re right,” the relationship (not to mention the conversation) will go absolutely nowhere. On the other hand, though, playing devil’s advocate in every conversation just makes you seem combative. So if you find yourself disagreeing more than not with your date, maybe it’s time to look for someone that’s a better fit for you, personality-wise.

4. Plain Janes. Standards of beauty in today’s media-saturated world have become so artificially elevated that many otherwise attractive women are convinced they’re “homely” because of a slightly bigger nose or a crooked smile. The good news is that most guys don’t care about this stuff; the bad news is that a small minority of men have self-esteem issues of their own and will take advantage of yours when given the opportunity. Eric Weisholtz, cofounder of GetOnTheCouch.com, says that “a man may see a woman who is kind of attractive, a bit awkward, unrefined and — whether she knows it or not — in dire need of someone to coach her toward virtue. It’s like finding a ‘make your own girlfriend’ kit.” Don’t feel like being part of a science experiment? Find a guy who likes you for who you are, not what he can make you change about yourself.

5. Assorted quirks. Fran Drescher, star of The Nanny, had a piercing, snorting, abrasive laugh — and all it did was send the ratings of her show through the roof and make her a millionaire many times over. That laugh also unmasked a secret crush that most guys didn’t even know they had: the hot girl with an unexpected quirk. Says Lisa Steadman, author of If He’s Not the One, Who Is?: “You know you’ve met someone who’s a keeper when he or she compliments your quirks. Whether it’s the snort in your laugh or the way you twirl your hair when you’re thinking about something — or the fact that you have to double-check that you hit the alarm button on the car when you get home at night — the right person will think your quirks are adorable.” Remember this the next time you’re feeling self-conscious about slurping your straw three times as you finish your iced latte. You might just have the guy next to you entranced instead of annoyed!

Men, get the women’s perspective on this issue by reading 5 unexpected female turn-ons.

Bob Strauss is a freelance writer and children’s book author who lives in New York City. He’s also written the Dinosaur guide on About.com, the online information network owned by the New York Times.

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Sounds like a gay person who is a nerd to me. Maybe the author meant to title this, 5 things that make homosexuality and nerds special.

While the 24-year-old rapper was handed a citation for alleged marijuana possession, the model was busy committing a crime against fashion.

Wiz was collared at a Holiday Inn hotel in Nashville, Tennessee on Saturday after investigators were called to his hotel room.

Cited: Wiz Khalifa admitted possessing marijuana in Nashville at the weekend and was served with a court citation

The star, whose real name is Cameron Thomaz, was due to headline a show in the city, but his night was ruined when the police showed up at his room.

Front desk staff at the hotel called police after received several complaints about marijuana use in his room.

Police claim that when they arrived they smelled marijuana, and when the door to his room was opened, they saw him throw a marijuana cigar out of the window. Not-so-sheepish: Wiz is open about his use of the drug and is starring alongside Snoop Dogg in an upcoming stoner movie

Not-so-sheepish: Wiz is open about his use of the drug and is starring alongside Snoop Dogg in an upcoming stoner movie

They also allege that when they asked if there was any more marijuana in the room he denied it, but they later found more on his companion.

Both suspects later admitted to having the drug and were cited for the misdemeanor possession.

They have until May 14 to show up at the Davidson County courthouse for booking on the charges.

He left Nashville on Sunday and has been in New York this week.

Call the fashion police: Amber Rose was in danger of being taken away in handcuffs due to her awful outfit in New York today

Rearly awful: The model’s outfit looked terrible from every angle

It will come as no surprise to his fans however, as he is open about his use of the drug and is even starring alongside Snoop Dogg in upcoming stoner comedy Mac and Devon Go to High School.

But the rapper was not the only one in his social circle committing a crime recently.

For his fiancée Amber Rose, who he proposed to last month, was in danger of being put in handcuffs by the fashion police in New York today.

Even by the 28-year-old’s outlandish standards her latest outfit was beyond the pale.

However her grey hooded top, baggy shorts, white sports socks, converse shoes and the red handkerchief she wore on her head was still not enough to stop fans asking for photographs.
A pair of poseurs: However his friends will surely be chuckling at her fashion disaster

A pair of poseurs: However his friends will surely be chuckling at her fashion disaster
Better in the shade: At least the glasses would have kept her in the dark about her ensemble

Better in the shade: At least the glasses would have kept her in the dark about her ensemble

Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

Her worst look to date and I normally love her body but I have to say she looks a bit fat in these pictures.

– OnlineGirl , Town , 26/4/2012 02:14
Rating 44

You’re right this time DM. This is DEFINITELY a fashion crime! I had a good laugh at her get up. Hahahah

– Ana, Canada, 26/4/2012 02:09

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Wiz should use this opportunity where Snoop Dogg failed, (also with all that wealth Wiz has) to challenge the unconstitutionality of the charges, of the unconstitutionality of the ban on all organic psychedelics which are after all freely given in nature.

No group of people have a right to forbid anyother group (this is the essence of democracy and civilisation, protection of minority rights) from using what is freely available or growing in nature, especially with threats of incarceration or extortion (fines) via ‘words on a piece of paper that have no bearing on reality and freedom laws‘. If the case to challenge bad laws against generally harmless organics fails (doubtful) as so many people do use organics, Wiz should demand that he be allowed to renounce the US citizenship and seek asylum in a country of his choice where organics are legal.

Do it Wiz, fight for democracy, for the right to use what Nature has given us for free! Don’t be a victim or a legal-system wuss Wiz, challenge the system on a Human Rights angle to use what nature has freely given mankind ! USA! USA! Pull a MLK on the system Wiz! Make them regret even daring to target you!

The Right to Sacrifice the Other: The American Genocides – by Munir Akash, Beirut: Riad El-Rayyes Books, June 2002. – REVIEWED BY Abdullah Mohammad Sindi, Ph.D. International Relations:

The American Genocides is a 200-page paperback book in Arabic and the latest scholarly work by Munir Akash who is a well-known Arab-American writer. Educated in his native Arab world, Europe, and the US, Akash authored, edited, and translated many articles and books in Arabic, French, and English on many subjects ranging from politics, to revolution, to poetry and sex. A recipient of several awards and honors both in Europe and the US, Akash also edited several scholarly periodicals in Paris, London, and the US including Jusoor, founded and published by him with the cooperation of Syracuse University’s publications in New York.

Written in a lucid style with a great deal of passion and courage which captivate the reader, The American Genocides contains a table of contents; an introductory chapter; seven main chapters documented by footnotes and sources; two appendixes on Native Americans; and two indexes, one on proper names and the other on places. The book also contains a small section about the author and his accomplishments.

Utilizing his expertise in Native American affairs, Akash wrote a profoundly shocking book. He did an excellent job in documenting the European genocides and other crimes against Native Americans from the time of the so-called “discovery” of so-called the New World in the late 15th century to the present. In this largest and longest holocaust in the history of the world, Akash estimated that 112 million Native Americans perished over the last 510 years both in North and South Americas. The invading Europeans destroyed over 400 North American Native Nations, such as the Iroquois, the Apache, the Navajo, the Cheyenne, the Cherokee, the Spokane, the Mohawk, and the Sioux.

Although some of these Native American victims (or so-called “Indians”) such as the Mayas, the Incas, and the Aztecs had great civilizations centuries before Europe, often superior to those of Europe at the time, the Europeans still claimed that their “divine” mission was to bring “civilization” to the New World and they brazenly referred to these natives as “savages” and “barbarians”. Also, despite the fact that the Native Americans initially welcomed the invading Europeans, were generous with them, and taught them how to survive in a new land, and how to plant food in an alien environment to them, the Europeans still have looked down, from the start, on these indigenous people and have called them such racist names as “brutes”, “vermin”, “wild varmints”, “devils”, “devil worshipers”, and “animals”. Not only uneducated Americans but also their political, religious, and social leaders have uttered these ugly and vulgar adjectives throughout US history.

Of the 112 million murdered Native Americans in the New World, Akash estimated that 18.5 million have been wiped out in what is known today as the United States.

He detailed how these horrific genocides and other crimes in the US have been committed by the “super race” WASP (White Anglo Saxon Protestant) at all governmental levels throughout US history as well as by common settlers who brutally settle-colonized North America. From the very beginning of their colonization in Plymouth, Massachusetts, the WASPs have acted like real wasps with potent venom. They have savagely stung Native Americans by various methods of genocides from outright slaughter; to intentional infection by deadly diseases such as small pox, cholera, and plague; to forced brutal deportations known as “Indian Removal”; to confinements in horrible conditions in concentration camps and reservations; to intentional sterilization of Native American women without their own knowledge.

Ironically, some American Christian churches, which supposedly believed in “Thou shall not kill” and “Thou shall not steal”, openly condoned and supported at all levels these barbaric acts and slaughters of Native Americans as well as the thefts of their lands, resources, and properties.

Naturally, as Akash indicated, the US government and its agencies have carefully covered up these long series of genocides and ethnic cleansings against Native Americans. In fact, today’s standard American history textbooks and official documents throughout the US totally ignore these massacres and horrible crimes committed against Native Americans. According to the official American point of view, North America was “empty” of native people when the WASPs started to colonize it in the early 17th century, or at best “sparsely” inhabited by “primitive” or “uncivilized” tribes.

Nevertheless, being an Arab writer writing in Arabic for Arab readers, Akash then proceeded to make a brilliant analogical comparison between the WASP’s brutal racist colonization of North America and the ancient Hebrew’s gruesome colonization of Canaan (old Palestine), as well as the current savage colonization of Arab Palestine since 1948 by the Western Zionist Jews. In order to replace the native people and steal their lands and properties, both the WASPs and the Hebrews/Zionists had to commit genocides and brutal racism against the rightful owners of the lands. Both of these two racist colonizers have justified their massacres and thefts as “doing God’s work on earth”.

In fact, as God’s warriors and devout faithfuls, the WASPs and the ancient Hebrews as well as the modern Zionists have used the Old Testament for their own purposes to justify their extermination of the native peoples and the theft of their lands and resources. For example, in Joshua 6:21 we read: “And they utterly destroyed all that [was] in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.” And in Joshua 24:13 we read: “And I have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and olive yards which ye planted not do ye eat.”

Next, Akash articulated his analogy further by drawing a perfect parallel between the WASPs and the Hebrews/Zionists. As the ancient Hebrews fled the brutality of the Pharaoh in Egypt, so did the WASPs from their king in England. As the ancient Hebrews crossed the Red Sea in a dangerous sea voyage, so did the WASPs across the dangerous Atlantic Ocean. As the ancient Hebrews got lost in their voyage to the “promised land”, so did the WASPs on their “Mayflower” across the Atlantic. As the ancient Hebrews considered themselves to be “the chosen people of God”, so did the WASP “pilgrims”.Â As the ancient Hebrews made a “covenant” with “God” during their wandering, so did the WASPs. And as the ancient Hebrews finally arrived in the “promised land” of Canaan, so did the WASPs in the “promised” New English Canaan.

Both the Hebrews and the WASPs wanted to establish “a city upon a hill”, a biblical notion of supposedly “a utopian society”. In fact, the WASP “pilgrims” referred to their settled-colonies in North America by such names as “Israel”, “God’s new Israel”, “Zion”, and “the promised land”.

Akash then eloquently argued that the “biblical Jewish/Zionist” philosophy, espoused by the American founding WASP fathers, has naturally evolved into the following 5 basic doctrines, which have guided American policies from the earliest blood baths in Plymouth to the current butchery in Afghanistan:

1. The Israeli meaning of the US (the Hebrew mythology that created the nation).

2. The Divine Election doctrine, “Chosen People” imagery, and the superiority of the WASP race and culture.

3. The right to lead and “save” the world (errand in the wilderness).

4. The predestined expansion (the divine right and ability to expand US domains endlessly).

5. The right to sacrifice the other.

Accordingly, as a direct result of these 5 ingrained doctrines in the American political and social psyches, the author correctly concluded that the intentional annihilation of Native Americans by the “super race” WASPs was not a unique or abnormal occurrence in American history. Rather, “the right to sacrifice the other” has always been a constant and systematic American norm from the dawn of the American nation to the present. In fact, many others groups and races throughout the world, both in past and current US history, have also been brutally killed en masse for a variety of reasons. Among these victims are millions of innocent Black Americans who died during the long history of the American brutal slavery system and the Jim Crow laws that followed it; hundreds of thousands of innocent Japanese who were horrifically incinerated by Atomic bombs in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the final days of W.W.II at a time when Japan was already too weak to continue the war and was actually willing to surrender; and millions of innocent Latin Americans, Filipinos, Koreans, Vietnamese, Arabs, Asians, Africans, and other groups throughout the world who have lost their lives as a direct or indirect result of America’s military interventionism World-Wide to promote US national (i.e., corporate) “interest”.

It should be indicated here that Akash is one of few scholars in the US who had the courage to expose in details the hidden history of these crimes against humanity. In researching his excellent book, Akash meticulously consulted many valuable sources, both primary and secondary, including documents, books, periodicals, and websites.

He quoted such important scholars and specialists on Native American studies as Professor David E. Stannard who authored: The Conquest of the New World: American Holocaust; and Ward Churchill, a Native American Professor and author of: Indians Are Us? Culture and Genocide in Native North America.

I do not have many negative remarks on Akash’s book. However, in few cases throughout his book one found some Western proper names written only in Arabic as they were mentioned for the first time but without the easier identification of their names by Latin letters next to the Arabic ones. In addition, although the title of the book (The Right to Sacrifice the Other: The American Genocides) gave the impression that each chapter might be devoted to specific racial victims of American genocides, the authored concentrated in the 7 chapters of his book on Native Americans. The author made only passing remarks about the American holocaust against Black American slaves, Filipinos, Hiroshima and Nagasaki’s civilians, Vietnamese, Latin Americans, Iraqis, Afghanis, and other victims throughout the world many of which were subjected to biological warfare. For example, in page 151 of his book, The American Holocaust, David Stannard stated that during the American slave trade “… at least 30,000,000 – and possibly as many as 40,000,000 to 60,000,000 – Africans were killed … before they even had a chance to begin working as human chattel on plantations in the Indies and the Americas”.

The American Genocides by Akash is an excellent book for all readers especially those interested in US history and in the plight of the New World’s indigenous peoples.

I recommend Akash’s book without any reservation whatsoever to all Arab readers, young and old. In fact, all Arab readers will be highly intrigued by Akash’s eloquent analogy between the WASP “pilgrims” in their brutal invasion of North America and the savage Hebrew/Zionist invasion of Palestine. The similarities between the brutal actions of the WASPs towards Native Americans and the actions of the Hebrews/Zionists towards the natives of Palestine (both ancient Canaanites and modern Palestinians) could also easily explain to all Arabs – especially those who still pin their hopes on the US to be fair – the current American unconditional support for Israel’s brutal policies in Arab Palestine. Also, those few Arabs who are still puzzled by the American total blind support of the Zionist entity should read this book.

In brief, Akash’s book is powerful and captivating. It is a good and informative reading, well researched and well written.

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We will support Yauch’s work by asking the government of the United States to relinquish all political and military power to the Native Americans (drop all Governorships hand over top military posts, etc..) in exchange for China granting sovereignty to Tibet.

After all there were no WASPs in USA and government should be held by the Native Americans – AFTER reparations for Holocaust style Native American Genocides (for being Pagans and having an organic culture not typified by Capitalism) by the Protestant Xians, German style apologies for Nazism and repatriations of ALL ethnically Caucasian persons who had derived wealth from enslavement of NAs, or sequestered NA lands (especially native ancestral burial grounds and sacred grounds) have been returned to the remnants of the tribe in question.

China will have no excuse to continue holding Tibet IF the Native American peoples are given their sovereignty starting with the Republic of Dakota, and then the Republic of Aztlan (which could either rejoin Mexico or become a sovereign state), and finally the Republic of New Africa (in conjunction with the NA tribes in the original area if assenting).

Do the Caucasians in USA love Tibet enough to take the moral high ground and even recommend their fellow Caucasians who had held NA slaves or butchered NA’s in the early Protestant migrations for their own living space be repatriated, as well as relinquish all military and political power to the Native Americans to make a point that China cannot ignore? Otherwise consider Yauch’s work a failure and Tibet’s secession an impossibility.

There is no moral high ground otherwise for USA or any ‘American’ to pursue Chinese issues when glaring occupations of entire peoples to the point of near extinction lacking political and military control. More currently enacted violent occupations, occupations of subversion are listed below :

1) Native Americans in USA (Oppressing nation is England via Freemason-Illuminati cultists and WASP groups)
2) Aboriginese in Australia (Oppressing nation is England via Caucasian convict colonies)
3) Various First Nations Natives in Canada (Oppressing nation is England and less so France)
4) Maori people in New Zealand (Oppressing nation is England)
5) Inuit people in Greenland (Oppressing nation is Denmark)

;without UN Ambassadorial representation at the New York based (but soon to be based on an aircraft carrier) UN? If all of the above occupiers, which are considered 1st World Nations, relinquish control over their colonies, then only will China (a second world country for all purposes) willingly relinquish control of Tibet, though Tibet looks set to become a Buddhist Theocracy if care is not taken to ensure freedom of the populace which China presumably protects the population from. Please see below link for a skewed and one sided campaign by USA’s WASP propaganda weapon :

Dr. Abdullah Mohammad Sindi is a native of Saudi Arabia where has was a Professor of Political Science at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah. He now lives and works in the US where he has also taught at 4 universities and colleges in Southern California: The University of California at Irvine, California State University at Pomona, Cerritos College, and Fullerton College. Dr. Sindi has published several articles in different scholarly periodicals both in Arabic and English.

BEIJING — In a major shakeup in the Communist Party’s top ranks, Bo Xilai, a charismatic but controversial official known for promoting a “red revival” campaign, has been fired as party chief in the city of Chongqing, the official Xinhua news agency reported Thursday.

The report came one day after Prime Minister Wen Jiabao publicly rebuked Bo for a scandal in which Chongqing’s former police chief sought refuge for 24 hours at the U.S. consulate in Chengdu. Before then, Bo was widely tipped to be in line for a promotion to China’s most powerful body, the Politburo Standing Committee, in a leadership change due this fall.

The United States and China have had a tangled relationship, full of highs and lows.

Wen spoke Wednesday at what was likely his last major news conference as premier, at the end of the annual meeting of China’s legislature, the National People’s Congress.

The 10-day session closed with the legislature giving overwhelming approval to changes in the country’s criminal code that will allow police to legally hold government critics for six months in secret detention centers.

But Wen focused his remarks on the need for more political openness in China — a process he said should occur gradually, but must not be reversed.

“Without successful political reform, it is impossible for us to fully implement economic reform, and the gains we’ve made in these areas may be lost,” he said. “Even with a single breath left, I am ready to dedicate myself fully to the cause of China’s reform.”

In his 45 years holding various government jobs, Wen said, “I have never pursued personal gain. . . . Ultimately, history will have the final say.” Wen’s has often been a lonely voice in the ruling Communist Party hierarchy arguing for political reform. Without such reform, he added, “such historic tragedies like the Cultural Revolution may happen again.”

The chaos and violence of Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution, from 1966 to 1976, is still considered a politically sensitive part of China’s recent history. That history has sometimes been invoked by hard-liners to justify stern measures of control, but Wen on Wednesday took the opposite tack, saying the Mao-era violence perpetrated by the Gang of Four — four top Communist Party officials, including Mao’s wife and her close associates — was a reason for more political opening, not less.

‘Red revival campaign’

Wen’s warnings about the Cultural Revolution appeared to be a slap at Bo, who had been considered a leading candidate for a slot on China’s all-powerful nine-member ruling Politburo Standing Committee in a leadership shuffle later this year.

Bo has instituted a “red revival campaign” in Chongqing that includes organizing pageants of Mao-era songs, dispatching students and bureaucrats to toil in the countryside, and ordering local television stations to broadcast red-themed patriotic programs.

Wen made specific reference to Chongqing during the news conference, saying authorities there needed to “seriously reflect” on a scandal involving a senior ex-police official who sought refuge at the U.S. consulate in Chengdu and is now being held and investigated in Beijing.

China’s Wen Jiabao calls for reforms even as legislature strengthens detention law

That Feb. 6 incident involved Wang Lijun, the deputy mayor and former police chief responsible for a sweeping crime crackdown in Chongqing. Bo was Wang’s boss. Wang’s flight — and the 24 hours he spent holed up in the U.S. consulate — is believed to have tarnished Bo’s image. On Wednesday, the premier strongly suggested that Bo held some blame for Wang’s actions.

“The central authorities have taken this matter very seriously,” Wen said.

The United States and China have had a tangled relationship, full of highs and lows.

Xinhua said that Bo is being replaced by a vice premier, Zhang Dejiang, who will also take Bo’s position on the local Chongqing Party Communist branch and its standing committee.

The report made no mention of whether Bo also lost his position on the party central committee and Politburo in Beijing.

In his remarks, Wen made clear that his definition of “political reform” does not necessarily mean allowing Chinese to vote freely any time soon.

Asked when Chinese might enjoy the same rights as people in other countries to vote in competitive elections, Wen repeated his familiar formulation that democracy must come to China “gradually,” with elections first for village offices, then townships.

He made no mention of a specific timetable, or when elections would be allowed — if ever — at the national level. But he said the move to more democracy in China was inevitable, and “no force will be able to hold this back.”

During his nine years as premier, Wen’s views frequently went unheard by the Chinese people because his remarks on politics were censored or heavily edited here at home.

Detentions and disappearances

Meanwhile, China’s legislature finalized the criminal code changes that makes it legal for police to hold dissidents for six months at a time in the secret detention centers — known as “black jails.” Detentions and disappearances are a common police practice here and have been used regularly against government critics such as the world-renowned artist Ai Weiwei.

The changes essentially give the police the legal power to continue holding people for months without formal charges when they are accused of threatening “state security,” a catch-all term used to snare anyone advocating more democracy or an end to Communist Party rule.

But the legislation says people accused of ordinary crimes cannot be held indefinitely, and families of all detainees must be notified within 24 hours.

The code change was passed by 2,639 of the roughly 3,000 delegates. They voted after several weeks of an unusually public campaign against the law, waged by lawyers, human rights activists and some academics who said it gave the police far too much power.

In the end, the delegates — who are often accused of merely rubber-stamping government proposals — ignored the public protest and voted for the change.

“I’m not surprised at all — not a single draft law has ever been rejected in the history of NPC,” said Liu Xiaoyuan, a Beijing-based lawyer who has defended Ai Weiwei.

The new law, Liu said, “will bring fear to Chinese citizens. Anyone can disappear simply by saying something that someone doesn’t like on the Internet. Power will be more abused.”

“It is an evil law,” said Mo Shaoping, a human rights lawyer in Beijing whose firm represents Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo. “It’s a type of enforced disappearance which is against international conventions.”

Researchers Liu Liu and Zhang Jie contributed to this report.

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Do look at Articles below for a potential double standard, but seeing as Premier Wen is retiring, there should be no issue hereon (especially if Wen shares his wealth to a point of being a 20 million worth plutocrat??? Many starving comrades in China . . . ) Lets see how this election’s transition unfolds.

China’s wealth gap has exceeded the point that triggers social unrest, according to figures revealed by Politburo member Bo Xilai, in a rare disclosure of the country’s income disparity. Photographer: Natalie Behring/Bloomberg

China’s wealth gap has exceeded the point that triggers social unrest, according to figures revealed by Politburo member Bo Xilai, in a rare disclosure of the country’s income disparity.

China’s Gini coefficient, an index of the income gap, has exceeded 0.46, Bo, the Communist Party Secretary for Chongqing Municipality, told reporters in Beijing today, without giving specifics. The index ranges from 0 to 1 and the 0.4 mark is used as a predictor by analysts for social disturbances.

The meeting where Bo spoke, held during the annual National People’s Congress in Beijing, highlighted Chongqing’s efforts to reduce the urban-rural income gap during the past five years, encompassing Bo’s tenure. Bo, 62, has reintroduced slogans and songs from the late Chairman Mao Zedong in a bid to re-instill a Communist spirit in a country that still officially adheres to the principles espoused by Karl Marx.

“As Chairman Mao said as he was building the nation, the goal of our building a socialist society is to make sure everyone has a job to do and food to eat, that everybody is wealthy together,” Bo said. “If only a few people are rich, then we’ll slide into capitalism. We’ve failed. If a new capitalist class is created then we’ll really have turned onto a wrong road.”

In a speech later in the day attended by Bo, Wu Bangguo, head of the NPC, said China in the next year would adjust the income tax system to “give a bigger role to taxation in adjusting income distribution.”
Wukan Protests

On Monday, Guangdong Communist Party Secretary Wang Yang, like Bo a candidate for the Politburo Standing Committee, told reporters at the National People’s Congress that reform needs to “represent the interests of the people.”

He said the region would learn from protests in the village of Wukan, where demonstrators kicked out local party leaders over illegal land grabs and were later permitted to hold elections. Bo declined to comment today when asked about the protests in Wukan.

Guangdong Governor Zhu Xiaodan said today the government put the “highest priority” on the lessons it learned from Wukan and said the region was looking to crack down on official corruption and improve citizen-led supervision.

The World Bank’s data for China’s Gini coefficient goes up to 2005 and the country doesn’t regularly publish a nationwide figure. The country hasn’t disclosed an urban coefficient because it had too much trouble getting accurate information from high-income urban families, according to Ma Jiantang, the head of the National Bureau of Statistics.
‘Completely Rubbish’

Speaking at today’s briefing, Bo denied as “completely rubbish” reports that his son drives a red Ferrari, and said his son attended Harvard University and Oxford University on scholarships. He also said his wife had quit her law practice and primarily does housework now.

“I am very moved of her sacrifice,” Bo said.

So-called mass incidents in China — strikes, riots and other disturbances — doubled from 2006 to 2010 as China’s wealth gap rose, according to Sun Liping, a professor at Beijing’s Tsinghua University. China’s Gini coefficient has risen from 0.302 in 1978 when the Communist Party began to open the economy to market forces, according to a 2008 report by Chen Jiandong at Southwestern University of Finance and Economics in Sichuan.

China’s Gini coefficient — and hence its wealth gap — has risen more than any other Asian economy in the last two decades, according to Murtaza Syed, the International Monetary Fund’s resident representative in Beijing, citing World Bank data. Syed told reporters in Beijing last month that the high wealth gap may hurt China’s long-term growth prospects.
‘More Unequal’

“If China becomes more and more unequal, it may find it very hard to keep growing at anywhere near the rates it’s been growing,” Syed said on Feb. 22.

China will carry out a comprehensive survey of urban and rural salaries that may help better gauge its income gap, the China Daily reported Feb. 7, citing Xie Hongguang, a deputy head of the statistics bureau.

Inaccurate information and fragmented efforts in the past have hindered government attempts to produce a nationwide Gini coefficient, Ma told reporters Jan. 17.

A Gini level of 1 is perfect inequality, with one person holding all the wealth, and a level of zero is perfect equality.

To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: John Liu in Beijing at +86-10-6649-7565 or jliu42@bloomberg.net

To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: John Liu in Beijing at jliu42@bloomberg.net; Michael Forsythe in Beijing at mforsythe@bloomberg.net

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Looks like Bo is one of the good guys, though too close to the West for comfort.

ARTICLE 3

Are China’s politicians the richest in the world ctd. – by Bradley Gardner on March 1, 2012

One addendum to yesterday’s post on the wealth of Chinese politicians.

Relatives of high level politicians often become quite wealthy. Which is a much more interesting story, but the sort of thing that the Hurun report cannot publish without compromising Rupert Hoogewerf’s visa. Wen Jiabao’s wife is one of the country’s largest diamond importers, and his son runs a private equity company. Hu Jintao’s son was the founder of a security company, which produces the x-ray machines used in Chinese airports, subways and train stations.

Which really isn’t significantly different from what goes on in America. Its just that in China you’re not allowed to publish information about it. In the words of one Chinese businessman I spoke to “people with connections do better in business, its the same everywhere.”

Peili was formerly the Vice-President of the Chinese Jewelry Association, and President and CEO of Beijing Diamond Jewelries Co., a company which has operations in both the mainland and Hong Kong.

Zhang met Wen when he was working in Jiuquan as part of Gansu’s Bureau of Geology. Being described as a strong-willed woman, her personality is in strict contrast to that of her husband, who is fairly introverted and modest. Zhang is never seen on any official occasions with the Premier. In 2007 Taiwan’s TVBS found Zhang to be wearing a bracelet worth over two million RMB (around $300,000US) at a jewelry convention.[2]

According to a U.S. diplomatic cable posted in Wikileaks, Wen has sought to divorce Zhang and is “disgusted” by how she has used his name to extract huge commissions in the diamond trade.[3][4].

Zhang and Wen have a son and a daughter, Wen Yunsong and Wen Ruchun.

Author: Financial Times
Recently, China’s “princelings” has become a “Little Red Guards” in the financial industry.

China’s emerging private equity investment fund industry, New Horizon Capital (New Horizon Capital) is one of the most influential and most successful. Billions of dollars in company funds managed by its stable of investors including Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan Chase, UBS, and Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund Temasek. But look at its Beijing headquarters, and you never guess.

This company in the lobby of the Campbell Building (Golden Treasure Tower), no signage, the building, but is close to the former imperial center – Forbidden City – an ordinary building. Only saw a few small text on the door: New Horizon Growth Investment Advisory Limited, we can only confirm this is the simple office of the company is located in Building 12 layers.

This company does not need luxury suites, because it has China’s most valuable asset. This is Wenyun Song (Winston Wen), the Business School of Northwestern University Kellogg (Kellogg) MBA, low-key man looks Kuxiao his father, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao of the People’s Republic of China.

Young Wenyun Song Mr. and New Horizon Capital is a more powerful princelings “Little Red Guards”. The princelings dominated in the rise of China’s domestic private equity fund industry, restructuring state assets and to provide financing for private companies to reap huge profits.

According to Thomson – Reuters statistics, the Chinese private equity transactions in 2009 reached $ 3.6 billion, accounting for one-third of the Asia-Pacific region. But industry sources said the market potential is much larger than this data.

, According to industry personnel, and the princeling dominance, exclusion, including foreign firms, however hard the company. This situation will have serious consequences, for two reasons. First, private equity funds in the process of economic modernization and lack of capital but there are good prospects for the company to provide financing channels play an important role, but only in this industry run professional and competitive manner, the parties in order to benefit the striking .

Second, some of those in power to worry about, and the princeling’s dominant position in the private equity fund will give the public more deterioration in China’s high-level nepotism aspect, power disorderly image. So opaque authoritarian system, the lack of legitimacy of a democratic society in the mass basis, this concern is difficult to disperse. The Communist Party’s official mouthpiece People’s Daily recently in an online opinion poll, 91 percent of respondents believe that all the rich families have political background.

Accept the newspaper interview, the the Audit former Auditor-General Li Jinhua said that the officials’ children and relatives of the fast-growing wealth “is most dissatisfied with the masses. Corruption senior officials, in 1998-2008, he won universal respect, and this month he said, “People’s Daily” reporters “from the now revealed many cases can be seen a lot of the problem of corruption through their children by relatives reflected.

Elite children receive education in the West, in the past 15 years, people were Western companies and banks to hire them, which I hope to enter the Chinese market more guarantees, or underwriting state-owned companies can be allowed in New York or Hong Kong-listed project. Many foreign investors know that hiring the relatives of senior officials as consultants or employees that can penetrate the local interest groups, bureaucratic obstacles and resistance.

Today, those institutions and investors scrambled to the private equity fund of investment once its working princelings. “In the past, the best choice of the background to the well-paid Western investment banks, but now the economic strength has changed,” a sensitivity of the topic and asked to remain anonymous people in the industry said, “with those foreigners “Hey, I am entitled to a business in my place, so you give me the money, my own investments, but also accounted for the bulk of Oh.”

Famous princelings of the field of private equity funds, including Lizhen Zhi (George), the former banker who has worked for Merrill Lynch and UBS, the Business School MBA MIT Sloan (Sloan,), its parent Ruihuan from the 1980s to 2003, as China’s senior leadership. According to sources, his son, Jeffrey Li, (Jeffrey) has recently resigned from the position of Novartis in charge of the private equity fund industry.

Industry bankers and private equity investors, said according to media reports and industry insiders said Wilson Feng, is the son-in-law of Wu Bangguo, ranked second within the party post, he left two years ago, Merrill Lynch, set up a state-owned nuclear energy Group associated with the Fund. The project, 2006 Merrill Lynch has been able to underwrite ICBC listed in Hong Kong to become the largest initial public offering (IPO), Wilson Feng, contributed.

Other princelings of the private areas of Tong Li (Li Tong), she was the daughter of one of the nine Politburo Standing Committee, Li Changchun, Li Changchun, in charge of propaganda and the media. According to three sources, Ms. Lee, now in charge of the Hong Kong Bank of China International, a private equity fund, the business concentrated in the media field. Jeffrey Zeng, son of former vice-premier Zeng Peiyan attended Stanford University, has also set up an affiliated fund of the state-owned financial institutions.

“Now is the critical moment of China’s financial industry,” said a Beijing-based director of foreign banks, “but I am very worried about foreigners and other talented people were turned away by the princelings and other useful background , the latter try to lead the private equity market in China. ”

The Government has been encouraging the development of local private industry funds are tightly controlled, but approved the establishment of joint investment needs to get through the numerous government agencies. Invited the relatives of senior leaders to join the management, private equity funds can help overcome these barriers.

A long time, and the princeling has been suspected of using the political capital for private gain, in the last ended in a bloody military crackdown in the Tiananmen Square student protests in 1989, this issue provoked the anger of the people. However, Beijing’s political arena insiders believe the two men for this ambitious generation of open, cultivated a close combination of money and power of the modern prospects.

Are familiar with many foreign investors on the former Premier Zhu Rongji’s son Levin Zhu (Levin, Zhu,) and former President Jiang Zemin’s son Jiang Mianheng, they had worked in a number of large foreign companies, or to cooperate with the establishment of the joint venture. Over the past two decades, their father to help complete the most important market reforms, including China become a WTO member.

Meteorologist Dr. Levin Zhu, University of Wisconsin. After working for some time in New York, Credit Suisse First Boston in the late 1990s, he returned to China, carefully arranged on the CICC is essentially the acquisition, which is a joint venture, Morgan Stanley holds about 34 % of the shares.

Mianheng boasts a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Drexel University in Philadelphia. The early 1990s, returned to Shanghai, he was in hot pursuit of foreign investors, they found that he was t